Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

This measure is a massive step forward. It is the four-year anniversary of when we voted to repeal the eighth amendment. Part of the commitment to the people of Ireland at the time were the ancillary recommendations from the Citizens' Assembly and the Oireachtas committee, which included free contraception for all. We waited for four years and we are now rushing this through. I accept the points that have been made. It is a shame we are rushing this Bill through with that particular clause contained in it.

The Minister has just pointed out something that is very contradictory, whatever about the legal opinion he has. As an elected Member, I find it difficult to accept the Minister has been given a legal opinion, full stop, but we get no indication of what that legal opinion may be. He said that opinion indicates there are complexities we must work through. We have had four years to try to work through them and, all of a sudden, bang slap against the summer recess, we are presented with this. The Minister has pointed out another complexity which is that, legally, we can now provide a termination of pregnancy to people under the age of 17 but we cannot legally supply them with free contraception.

What was the point of sitting for hours and hours in committee rooms discussing with witnesses, some of whom came from abroad, how important it was to have free contraception and non-ethos-based sex education to reduce crisis pregnancies, particularly among the younger cohort who are sexually active? This just undermines all of that work. I have no idea what that legal opinion is but I suspect it is probably coming from the same forces the Minister talked about who are outside Leinster House. I have no idea. He said people would like to undermine this legislation. I am sure they would.

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