Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Fair enough but that is the effect and it is unfortunate. The points have largely been made but the fact of the matter is that doctors seeking to ensure the health and welfare of women in pregnancy situations will now be labouring under an anxiety and fear that if they do certain things they may be guilty of a criminal offence and subject potentially to a 14 year prison sentence. To my mind this is patently unacceptable. It is a throwback and concession to the viewpoint of those who were defeated in the referendum, where the people made a very clear decision they do not believe that women making a decision to have an abortion should be guilty of a criminal offence and that women should have the right to do it. The Minister is retaining a criminal offence and that chill effect of a potential prison sentence.

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