Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to provide some clarification on this issue. Professor Boylan gave testimony to the Committee on the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution to the effect that he felt it would be necessary for an ultrasound to be available to women in the provision of abortion services. He also stated that it would be logical for an ultrasound to be a device used in the provision of the service. An ultrasound is a medical device used to help people; it is not threatening in any way. Many doctors have stated that, in cases of ectopic pregnancy or other situations where women may present at the surgery and may be provided with an abortion pill and so on, it is important for those doctors to have the diagnostic tools to ensure their care for the woman in those scenarios is care they can confidently stand over. We had this conversation in the committee, which was a more reasonable debate on this. There was not any suggestion that this would in some way be a threat to an individual-----

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