Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

To avoid any doubt, I must state we will not support amendment No. 46, based on its content. We do not want any association with it. It states, "Where it is intended to carry out a termination of pregnancy on a foetus who is twenty weeks' gestation or more, the medical practitioner intending to carry out the termination of pregnancy or another medical practitioner assisting him or her shall, orally and in person, offer information on foetal pain to the pregnant woman." Presumably, that will cover a case of a fatal foetal abnormality. I am sure it is not the intention of those sponsoring the amendment to be grossly offensive or hurtful but those affected are already suffering enough.

During a hearing of the committee on the eighth amendment, two lovely, dedicated representatives of Terminations for Medical Reasons shared their story with us. It was absolutely heartbreaking. The Deputies who have sponsored the amendment and call themselves pro-life - I call them anti-choice but one can call them anything one likes - did not turn up to hear from Terminations for Medical Reasons. It strikes me that if they had done so, they would not have included cruel references like what they propose, although perhaps they would.

Subsection (7) of the proposed new section states the Health Service Executive shall cause to be published in both printed and digital formats a document containing information as to "public and private agencies". We have already had discussions about the private agencies. I refer to the lovely people who talk about the non-existent link between abortion and breast cancer and other forms of cancer. I am very disturbed by the content of the amendments but I do not believe they are being tabled to allow for any kind of reasoned debate. They are being tabled just to give certain Members an opportunity to make what I, as a woman, would consider to be very offensive statements, such as the statement that a woman would have an abortion because she simply does not know about the supports available to her. She can, of course, find out. The idea that the lads will be riding in on their white horses to support all these women and the idea that they somehow call this amendment a pro-choice amendment are a little laughable. I do not believe anybody is really fooled by that. The intention is to highlight the shame, judgment and all the other things that go along with this. That is how I feel when I read the amendment as a woman. I find it grossly offensive. I sincerely hope that is not the intention of the amendment's sponsors.

It is very sad that it is being proposed to put a family facing a diagnosis of a fatal foetal abnormality through further hoops. It is very hurtful to them. If the Members supporting the amendments had engaged with them, they might have paused for thought before submitting them.

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