Kate O'Connell (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am all for having a new Bill. I am all for working through the issue, but the Bill put before the Joint Committee on Health was so deeply flawed. It is very disturbing that we would set a precedent by ignoring the volume of legal advice we have received and that we would do anything in this House to disrupt those mechanisms that have been put in place to safeguard public health.

I am mindful of the fact that earlier during Leaders' Questions Deputies spoke about robust regulatory processes for sodium valproate use by women who were intending to or who might become pregnant. About two hours ago we had Deputies talking about strict regulatory processes and making available information to safeguard public health, but now they are saying, "Don't mind those regulations; it will be fine."

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