Séamus Healy (Tipperary, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

With the minute available to me, I commend and thank each and every member of the Tipperary Together for Yes group. They organised the campaign in Tipperary brilliantly. They brought commitment, courage, energy and enthusiasm to that campaign and as one who campaigned against and voted against the amendment in 1983, I welcome the resounding success.

I would like to see the legislation enacted quickly, including sitting during the summer recess.

There are measures which could and should be taken immediately, and these include the amendment of the Regulation of Information (Services Outside the State For Termination of Pregnancies) Act 1995 to allow medical doctors to refer women abroad and to allow for the sharing of medical records and notes. The 14 year prison sentence should be immediately abolished. We know not the day nor the hour when another Savita case might arise. The Oireachtas should amend the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013 to provide for terminations on grounds of serious harm to the health of the woman. These measures could be taken quickly and implemented within a few weeks.

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