Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I was very disappointed with Deputy O’Connell’s contribution. It seems rather than debating the issues her approach was to attack motives and allege total ignorance with no examination of the issues. I have great respect for Deputy Harty. He strikes me as one of the most caring of people. I bow to his knowledge. I accept that, until now, the entire practise of medicine has been towards saving lives.

It was gratuitous to say we had not thought about this issue. Viability varies, as the Minister said, with the child, the mother, gestation and various other factors. We have all experienced that with family members and we see that in everything to do with the human. There are so many variables in that regard. The idea that we did not understand that is wrong. That is the reason viability is not defined in any specific term of time in the Bill, and all of us agreed on that last night.

Deputy O'Connell referred to intensive care units. If one goes to Britain, one will find some of the greatest care units for born and unborn children that one could find anywhere in the world. Twenty-five years ago, a lady in my parish went to England to have an in-the-womb operation, and that was the early days of such operations, and she now has a fully grown adult son. We all collected money for the hospital. It is also true to say that, side by side with that fantastic care, there is a very vibrant industry whose sole purpose is to take the lives of children. I believe, therefore, that we need to vindicate in the law what the Constitution states, namely, the second one is born one is a citizen and one has a right under law to the vindication of one’s life.

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