Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

I do not know what we would do if we did not have the Rural Independent Group Deputies and other Deputies to give us this amazing information. Women, it seems, do not know that the Internet exists where they can get all this information themselves without us passing it into law. I thank the Deputies for insisting that this be put into the law.

While the Deputies were speaking, I took the liberty of visiting one of the websites they believe all women must be told about. The original amendment, which the Deputies changed slightly since Committee Stage, was that any person who is pregnant and wants a termination, whether due to a diagnosis of fatal foetal abnormality, for health reasons or for whatever other reason, must be subjected to this full-on intimidation procedure. The Deputies have changed the amendment to exclude that requirement because they realised how cruel and callous it looked.

I presume this provision would apply to any pregnant person who visits a general practitioner seeking an abortion within the first 12 weeks. What women will find when they look up the Internet at eight weeks is a foetus the size of a raspberry. At 12 weeks, they will see a foetus two inches in size. What amazing information do the Deputies think these airhead women would find if the amendment was passed? Seriously, this is beyond belief.

I will deal quickly with the amendment. We all know why these amendments are being tabled. It has nothing to do with any concern for women. As soon as I finish, I will meet women who are under real threat and I will listen to Ms Vicky Phelan speak about the life-saving drug which she wants to be made available to all women. As for the idea that anyone going through this procedure would have to be shown the probable anatomical and physiological features and be told about foetal pain, and that a little ring-around would be done of the public and private adoption agencies that might want to take their baby, even if all of these things are done, women will still make the decision to have abortions.

I love the way Deputy Mattie McGrath would find houses for them all. The Deputy correctly stated there is a housing crisis. If only every woman who was pregnant had a house because many of them do not. Amendment No. 46 seeks to have the father of the foetus brought into the equation as well. We have this idea that if only these poor girls had the real information, they would suddenly change their minds and decide not to have an abortion. They can get this information without the Deputies forcing it down their throats. They do not need the Deputies making a law that a doctor would have to subject them to shame, guilt, upset, delay and out-and-out misogyny, which is what this is. There is no need for the Deputies to try to trigger people. All of these amendments are ghoulish. It is difficult to understand how somebody could sit down and write them.

At the committee, I made the point that the Deputies need to move beyond the 1950s and let the 66% of people who voted for this change, and many others who accept their verdict, move on, progress and have done with it. I will not take up any more time but I felt it was important to call that out.

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