Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Amendment No. 82 establishes a duty of care on behalf of a practitioner or an institution. We all realise it takes considerable time to establish or change a culture in an organisation. If one has an explicit duty, that assists in defining the kind of culture there is. I mentioned it last night in relation to the Liverpool hospital that I visited and how Irish women felt judged in going to that institution, specifically in the context of fatal foetal abnormalities. It is really important that we change that culture for women who have an entitlement to care under this legislation and we must craft that and not assume that it will happen. That is why this amendment on duty of care is included.

Amendment No. 90 seeks to disqualify a practitioner from a review panel if he or she has had a conscientious objection in the past. That is reasonable. There must be fair procedures where a woman is in front of a review panel. Amendment No. 101 does largely the same. Amendment No. 134 lays down conditions on conscientious objections. Amendment No. 135 makes it a duty on an appropriate institution to have the required number of staff available for a termination. These amendments all explain themselves. I do not wish to press it in any further detail. I am sure others will add to what I have said.

See this speech in context