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

In her evidence to the Joint Committee on Health on 31 May, Dr. Marie O'Shea, the author of the report of the review of the operation of the termination of pregnancy Act stated, "if nothing is done, it is only a question of time before we see a repeat of Mellet v. Ireland and Whelan v. Ireland and [a future] Taoiseach standing up in the Dáil to make an apology and pay a sum of money to people". I remind everyone that Mellet v. Ireland and Whelan v. Ireland were two cases taken to United Nations human rights bodies that involved women affected by fatal foetal anomalies, prior to appeal, who were denied access to abortion care in Ireland. In 2016 and 2017, the UN human rights committee found that the State subjected both women to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, discrimination and interference with their right to privacy. Dr. O'Shea believes that the State continues to be in violation of its obligations in this area because the provisions of the 2018 Act are so restrictive and many people in that situation, which is tragic, still find themselves forced to travel to England. The latest statistics show that.

Does the Taoiseach agree with Dr. O'Shea that there is a possibility a future Taoiseach will have to make a State apology to women who are in these very tragic circumstances? How long will the Government continue to bury its head in the sand and refuse to deal with this situation?

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