Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Fianna Fáil will support the Bill, the purpose of which was outlined by Deputy Howlin who sponsored it and which was further elaborated on by the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris. The issue gives rise to emotive debate but at the same time we have an obligation to ensure that health and social care professionals and counsellors in the area of crisis pregnancy are imparting ethical, factual, clinical information that is truthful and objective. Regardless of the position one takes on the argument, the purpose of the Bill is to take no sides but to ensure there is an obligation on counsellors to give factual information based on clinical practice and empirical evidence. That is no more or less than the Bill proposes.

The Minister, Deputy Harris, outlined that there are some deficiencies in the Bill and that departmental officials will be made available for discussion with Deputy Howlin and others who wish to play a proactive role in trying to ensure that information imparted to women who are in a very vulnerable state is factual and objective and that there is no sleight of hand in terms of the advice being given to them. The purpose of the Bill is tangible and is required.

There is no doubt that in recent years we have seen some groups give advice in clinics in a negative way and journalists have uncovered damaging information being imparted to women at a time of crisis. I compliment the investigative journalists who went under cover and highlighted this issue. It is completely unacceptable for advice to be given to people that is wholly inaccurate without clinical or medical support or evidential base. For that reason the Bill will start a debate and a process to ensure we get to a position where formal governance structures and regulation are in place for such counselling.

The Minister announced tonight that in tandem with the consideration of the Bill his Department is commencing a review of the Regulation of Information (Services Outside the State for Termination of Pregnancies) Act 1995 as part of the response to addressing the concerns that have arisen. I hope whichever route is taken that the process will be speedy and that it does not fall between the two possible approaches we can take, namely the legislative review or the Bill proposed by Deputy Howlin.

We have had debates in this House previously on other health care professionals. It is important that there is absolute confidence in the regulatory authorities that oversee the various health care professionals. Those that are currently governed by the Health and Social Care Professions Act were outlined and Deputy Howlin proposes to include crisis pregnancy counsellors as well. There is no doubt about the significant difficulty in regulating this sector because of the grandfathering obligations that might exist and the fact that some groups are completely outside the regulatory system in terms of self-governance and self-regulation. Much work remains to be done on the issue. If the Minister is to make his officials available I ask that time would then be made available in Parliament to progress the issue and to have the legislation passed.

I support the principle of the Bill and I urge everyone to support it to ensure there is integrity in the counselling system and confidence that counsellors are imparting information that is accurate, objective, truthful, that can be clinically substantiated and that they do not try to direct a woman in a crisis pregnancy one way or the other. The information should be given and the choice made by the woman herself, her family, her clinician and others that might be involved in the decision-making process as well. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill and I hope it can progress in a reasonable timeframe. I hope it does not fall between two stools due to the fact the Minister, Deputy Harris, has also said he will review in tandem the Regulation of Information (Services Outside the State for Termination of Pregnancies) Act 1995.

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