Results 21,261-21,280 of 45,789 for speaker:Simon Harris
- Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)
Simon Harris: Senator Leyden is the victim.
- Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)
Simon Harris: Women do not trust the Senator.
- Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)
Simon Harris: Hear, hear.
- Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)
Simon Harris: It is in the legislation.
- Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)
Simon Harris: I did keep my promise.
- Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)
Simon Harris: Yes.
- Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)
Simon Harris: Well-----
- Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)
Simon Harris: We amended it.
- Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)
Simon Harris: I thank the Senators. As Senator Mullen said, we had a lengthy discussion on this on Committee Stage, although not a vote. I want to be clear that the normal medical principles on consent will and must apply in relation to termination of pregnancy. Consent to medical treatment by minors over the age of 16 is governed in the Statute Book, so this idea that we are entirely leaving it to...
- Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)
Simon Harris: I have nothing to add.
- Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)
Simon Harris: I will be very brief as amendment No. 13 is a technical amendment that would have been consequential on a previous amendment, which was either defeated at Committee Stage or ruled out of order for Report Stage. On the other amendments in this section, we have had a very good engagement through both Houses, including the last day, on this subject. I know and very much respect that there are...
- Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)
Simon Harris: I thank Senator Norris for tabling this amendment. To be clear, the reason the word "shortly" needed to be replaced with a defined period was primarily legal advice, but also inquiries from clinicians as to what exactly the Houses of the Oireachtas meant by "shortly". There was a fear that if the word "shortly" were put into the legislation, it would not provide direction or clarity as to...
- Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)
Simon Harris: I apologise. I was making the point that while Senator Norris is entirely correct that the word "shortly" appeared in the general scheme published in March, it was on the basis of the Attorney General's advice that we needed to define what was meant by that. When I spoke to clinicians, they told me there is really a choice of two timeframes from a clinical perspective, either seven days or...
- Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)
Simon Harris: Of course, any baby born in a hospital should be given all the supports of a neonatal unit. This is "without extraordinary life-sustaining measures". For these reasons, and based on my engagements with some clinicians working on the roll-out of this service, the legal advice of the Attorney General and the other definitions in the Act, I do not propose to accept the amendment.
- Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)
Simon Harris: Senator Higgins is entirely correct. It is the increased risk of continuing with the pregnancy.
- Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)
Simon Harris: I have heard from the Attorney General and the chief medical officer and from our clinical adviser, Dr. Peter Boylan, that their preference is for the wording to remain as it is, legally and clinically. Several Senators had an opportunity to hear from clinicians yesterday in that regard too. I really welcome Senator Higgins's amendment, not because I am in a position to support it but for...
- Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)
Simon Harris: I do not have much to add but I will make some quick points. I understand the value of teasing out, as we did in the other House, what is harm, serious harm and risk. My first point is similar to Senator Bacik's. This wording has not changed since the publication of the draft wording and this is very much the framework on which we campaigned. As the Senators know, it is something I am...
- Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)
Simon Harris: I provided a briefing yesterday for Senators through the Seanad Office. A number of the Senators attended. There was an opportunity to hear from the Chief Medical Officer, from Dr. Peter Boylan, former chairman of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and from Dr. Mark Murphy, a general practitioner involved in the rolling out of the service. Explained very clearly at the...
- Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)
Simon Harris: That is a grotesque comment.
- Seanad: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (13 Dec 2018)
Simon Harris: No.