Results 3,941-3,960 of 5,732 for speaker:Fidelma Healy Eames

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I want to thank Senators O'Donnell and Mac Conghaíl for putting down these amendments. This shows great courage. I have met and listened to women on both sides of this issue, women who have received the difficult diagnosis that their baby has a fatal foetal abnormality. I have listened to the stories of the trauma they all experienced, because in each case the pregnancy was wanted....

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I am being really careful with my words here because I know that this diagnosis is the hardest situation of all. That is why I respect the amendments-----

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Excuse me. That is why I respect the amendments being placed on this issue.

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Fidelma Healy Eames: If I could continue my point, the reason they said they were happy is because they had a reference point around the birth of the baby. They had those few minutes, hours or years with the baby. They had their family around them. They had a support group. Every year afterwards, they were able to celebrate that life. I am not saying this is my view. That is what they stated, and I have to...

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I wish to respond to the Minister.

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I thank the Cathaoirleach. This debate is deeply sensitive and I treat it with the greatest of respect. I want to clarify. I was a little disappointed with Senator Power, who inferred that I made a value judgment. I made no value judgment, and would not make a value judgment, between the two sets of women on how they decided to deal with their diagnosis of fatal foetal abnormality. One...

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Fidelma Healy Eames: As I stated, I treat this with the deepest respect. I am making no value judgment here.

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Fidelma Healy Eames: In fairness, the women were here and we met them. I know they are not before us now. I am telling the House how they came across to me. I am merely explaining. One woman spoke about the joy that her child would just be able to feel the wind in her hair.

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I am.

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I am merely saying that some day in the future we may be making a decision with regard to what we will legislate for in this respect. As legislators, we are fortunate to have the experience of having met some of these women. I would not make any of my points today only for that experience. It is unhelpful to state that I am making a value judgment. I thank Senator Marie-Louise O'Donnell...

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Fidelma Healy Eames: No.

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I am not making a Second Stage speech.

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Fidelma Healy Eames: In all cases of which I speak, they were given the diagnosis of fatal foetal abnormality. In the latter case, those little children are now six-year-old twins, as she stated, running around in a playground in County Clare. With respect, all cases were given the diagnosis of fatal foetal abnormality. Today is not the day that we will make a decision on this for the reasons that we are told...

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I have a specific question for the Minister of State which arises from some confusion in the debate. The issue here for me is that some families that received a diagnosis of fatal foetal abnormality decided to bring their babies to term and the babies lived outside the womb for some time, despite the diagnosis. Some lived for minutes, some for hours, some for months and some for years,...

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I have heard both sides but there is a distinction. Of course, we support every intervention where the mother’s life can be saved, even if that means the unintentional taking of the life of the unborn. Senator Walsh’s amendment states, “but excludes any procedure undertaken or drug administered with the direct intention of killing the unborn”. That is the...

Seanad: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Fidelma Healy Eames: I wish to speak to my amendment No. 38. The amendment states: "In page 10, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following: "(c) that medical procedure shall not involve the intentional destruction of a viable unborn,' ". The key words are "intentional" and "viable unborn". I have great difficulty with the reason for not taking this amendment in the Dáil. Why was the Government not...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: An Tuarascáil - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Fidelma Healy Eames: On a point of order-----

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: An Tuarascáil - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Did I hear there that the Cathaoirleach is not an impartial Chair and that he knows strings are not being pulled?

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: An Tuarascáil - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Fidelma Healy Eames: Impartial, a Chathaoirligh. Go raibh maith agat.

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: An Tuarascáil - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Fidelma Healy Eames: It does not add up.