Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

While I do not agree with the amendment, I understand the meaning behind it. Certain people in this Chamber and outside are so fundamentally opposed to abortion in any circumstance that they do not want to be complicit in it in any way at all, and that includes contributing their taxes to it.

Deputy Donnelly has pointed out the flaw in the amendment. If there is an immediate risk to the life or health of the woman, she would fall outside the scope of this amendment. However, outside that it is rubbish to suggest that if we pass this amendment and everyone has to pay for abortions we will have extra money in the morning for our health service to fund extra hip replacements, extra cataract operations, etc. The World Health Organization - not me or some doctor - has stated that 7 million women worldwide are admitted to hospitals as a result of unsafe abortions every year. The World Health Organization states that cost is a barrier to safe abortions. If we start to charge women, the World Health Organization states that it will lead to an increase in unsafe abortions.

The World Health Organization put a cost on the 7 million women admitted to hospital as a result of unsafe abortions. It costs $600 million a year to treat women who have had unsafe abortions. The best way for us to have safe legal abortions is to make them free. All the evidence supports that. Charging for it results in increasing the number of unsafe abortions, which has an impact on the health system.

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