Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I think so.

It is very difficult to follow that contribution from Deputy Clare Daly and I want to acknowledge it. There was raw emotion in that contribution.

The people have spoken in a strong, clear voice to repeal the eighth amendment. It is quite obvious that the Irish people put substantial thought into their decision. They put quiet, emotional thought into their decision. It was unseen by the political elite and by the political pollsters that such an emphatic two to one majority would come to pass. It was felt that it would be substantially less than that.

The people voted across the divide. They voted across the class divide, the creed divide, the age divide and the urban-rural divide. This referendum has shown how far the Irish people have come in their thinking over the past 35 years. To vote in a clear majority, two to one, was stunning.

This process demonstrates the strength of our democracy but it also demonstrates that a referendum is the ultimate citizens' assembly, where people make their voices known and the Oireachtas must respond. As Chairman of the Committee on Health, I have the particular responsibility of facilitating the examination of this legislation, through pre-legislative scrutiny but also through the Committee Stage. I recognise the urgency with which this legislation needs to come to pass. We must also recognise that it is a process that has to be examined carefully so that we get the legislation correct and that it stands up to any challenge that may subsequently be put to it.

The central issue revolving around this legislation will be the provision of safe, effective and legally delivered termination of pregnancy. I believe this will be a new service within the health service and there will be new responsibilities on the medical profession. There will have to be clinical guidelines and ethical guidelines, which will be very important. We must also approve new procedures and new medications.

The majority of the termination of pregnancy will be delivered before 12 weeks. That will be delivered within primary care, through a GP-led primary care service. This will be unique in the world because I am not aware of any other jurisdiction which has a GP-led termination service. We need to look at this carefully. It may well be that these services will have to be provided in GP-led clinics and not just through GP-led standard practices because it is not simple a matter of writing a prescription. There will be a number of consultations involved in this and there will be the necessity to have dating scanning because the medication which is prescribed will vary depending on the length of the pregnancy. These are matters that must be dealt with through the medical organisations. It may well be that GPs will opt in to this process rather than each GP in his or her own surgery providing the service. There is a level of expertise which will be needed in regard to general practice and that has to be dealt with through the representative bodies.

I would also like to refer to the fact that there will be conscientious objection to this. If the medical profession is to be reflected in the vote, then one third of doctors will not want to participate in this process. That goes for nurses and allied health professionals as well. That has to be built into the legislation.

We must dwell on the prevention of unwanted pregnancies and the prevention of crisis pregnancies. The committee dealt comprehensively with introducing safe-sex education into our schools, so that crisis pregnancies are avoided, and to make available contraception. Contraception should be made freely available. I note that is the Minister's intention.

The delivery of termination in the first 12 weeks should be done through a State system. There should not be a cost attached to it. We should not have a two-tier termination service. We need to have a consistent service which is delivered through the public system that is safe and effective.

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