Kate O'Connell (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As usual, amendments Nos. 43, 43a and 43b are being presented as a good thing when, in fact, they are more about shame and the surveillance of women. The crux of their genesis was revealed in some of the recent contributions which indicate that alarm bells should go off once a woman has had two or three abortions. To develop a point made by Deputy Burton, where would those alarm bells go off? Would there be a red light in a convent or local church? Is this some sort of policing of promiscuity? Is it about policing pregnancy? Is that the intention of the proposers of these amendments? The amendments hark back to views held in the past.

Reference has again been made to many women in the UK having eight terminations. It has been made clear in this Chamber, at committee and through the Citizens' Assembly that no woman ever gets up in the morning and decides to have a termination as a logical way to proceed with her day. Such decisions are normally made by people in the most difficult of circumstances. The people voted on the provision of a 12-week window within which women would be allowed to make their own decisions without being told what they should do with their bodies by the promiscuity police, pregnancy police or any other police.

These amendments are not what they purport to be. As Deputy Bríd Smith stated, the collection of data is provided for in the legislation. These amendments are about power, control over women, shame and surveillance. Those who have put their names to the amendments should be ashamed in front of the women in their lives.

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