Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will be honest about this. The people voted in favour of the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, but when it was put to the people the Labour Party recommended against voting in favour of that amendment. That was our position then and it has been our position for a long time. In cases such as this, the issue is the medical care of the woman. It is a relatively early stage in the pregnancy and my understanding is that the doctors have sought, and are seeking, to give both the woman and her baby the maximum amount of care and attention. Cases such as these are very tragic for the families involved.

Speaking as a mother and a woman, I believe there is a huge amount of common ground in this debate, which is sometimes drowned out by the noise from those at the extremes on both sides of what at times can be a very extreme debate. These issues are not easy. In the programme for Government the Government agreed to address a series of previous court case issues, such as the X case. I do not know the Deputy's views, but if I recall correctly, he was one of the Members who had reservations about legislation on these matters, and I believe he voted accordingly. However, notwithstanding the enormous difficulties, there is an unspoken agreement on all sides of the House among people in the centre ground to respect life and to ensure that the maximum and best attention is available to women who are pregnant, while respecting the right of choice and the right of women to seek the best possible outcomes in respect of their health and their lives. Obviously, that also involves the life of any baby.

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