Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Here is the 60-second version. Whether it is well meaning or not, the amendment is technically flawed. It refers to pregnancies covered by section 10, which concerns notification. This means that when it refers to sections 11, 12 and 13, we have no idea those are the ones it means. The amendment would cause an awful lot of confusion. It provides for a period of two days for this, 48 hours for that and 72 hours for something else. The amendment could have sinister consequences. As has been well noted, it could lead to rapists being informed that their daughter has presented pregnant to a local GP and it allows any interested party to get involved via the High Court. Finally, as the Minister has just clarified, it is completely unnecessary. This is what I want to make absolutely clear, and the Minister might comment further when he gets a chance to wrap up. The current law, as set out in this Bill, states that if a girl who is 15 years old or younger presents to a GP seeking a termination, she must have parental consent. That is the existing law, which will continue under this Bill, and anybody who says this is not the case and anybody who says that a 14 year old girl can walk into a GP's office without consent is intentionally or unintentionally misleading the House and the public.

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