Results 3,381-3,400 of 7,582 for speaker:Rónán Mullen

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Termination in Cases of Foetal Abnormality: Mr. Peter Thompson, Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital (29 Nov 2017)

Rónán Mullen: I am happy to accept that clarification. Not much rests on it but I am happy to accept the clarification that Mr. Thompson came to give evidence. It was very illuminating evidence.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Obstetric Medicine in the Netherlands: Professor Sjef Gevers and Professor Eva Pajkrt, University of Amsterdam (23 Nov 2017)

Rónán Mullen: I thank the witnesses for attending and for their very interesting presentation, which brought to light something I had not realised, namely, that the number of Irish women having abortions in the Netherlands is very small. There has been a narrative in this country that while 3,000 to 3,500 Irish women go to Britain for abortions, we are often reminded that there are more going to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Obstetric Medicine in the Netherlands: Professor Sjef Gevers and Professor Eva Pajkrt, University of Amsterdam (23 Nov 2017)

Rónán Mullen: Would the witnesses have any idea of the post-24 week number of abortions? Are they included in the figures the witnesses have given us?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Obstetric Medicine in the Netherlands: Professor Sjef Gevers and Professor Eva Pajkrt, University of Amsterdam (23 Nov 2017)

Rónán Mullen: Will the witnesses give us an idea of the total number of abortions that take place after 24 weeks?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Obstetric Medicine in the Netherlands: Professor Sjef Gevers and Professor Eva Pajkrt, University of Amsterdam (23 Nov 2017)

Rónán Mullen: Being born or aborted?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Obstetric Medicine in the Netherlands: Professor Sjef Gevers and Professor Eva Pajkrt, University of Amsterdam (23 Nov 2017)

Rónán Mullen: How many pregnancies over 24 weeks are terminated in a year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Obstetric Medicine in the Netherlands: Professor Sjef Gevers and Professor Eva Pajkrt, University of Amsterdam (23 Nov 2017)

Rónán Mullen: A very small number. We have a tradition here in Ireland where children with Down's syndrome are perhaps more cherished than in many other countries. We are very proud of our international Special Olympics. Many people testify to the joy that Down's syndrome children bring into their lives and how the children change their lives in a positive way. There has been much concern and debate...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Obstetric Medicine in the Netherlands: Professor Sjef Gevers and Professor Eva Pajkrt, University of Amsterdam (23 Nov 2017)

Rónán Mullen: Some 90%? I thank Professor Pajkrt. She refers, going through the guidelines of the general considerations, to asking if the pregnancy has been correctly dated with a scan and that, in case of doubt, a scan should be performed. The guidelines state that when referring for a scan, it should be mentioned whether it is an undesirable pregnancy. Many people in this country, not just people of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Obstetric Medicine in the Netherlands: Professor Sjef Gevers and Professor Eva Pajkrt, University of Amsterdam (23 Nov 2017)

Rónán Mullen: Surely the woman should be given the straight option of seeing the scan? It might save a life.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Obstetric Medicine in the Netherlands: Professor Sjef Gevers and Professor Eva Pajkrt, University of Amsterdam (23 Nov 2017)

Rónán Mullen: Abortion rates in the Netherlands are somewhere between two and three times our rate, depending on how one counts them. Is it not the case that the system is to provide abortion on request? Professor Pajkrt pitches it with regard to emergencies, but is anybody ever refused an abortion? Does she have figures on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Obstetric Medicine in the Netherlands: Professor Sjef Gevers and Professor Eva Pajkrt, University of Amsterdam (23 Nov 2017)

Rónán Mullen: What Professor Pajkrt is really talking about-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Obstetric Medicine in the Netherlands: Professor Sjef Gevers and Professor Eva Pajkrt, University of Amsterdam (23 Nov 2017)

Rónán Mullen: Is it not fair to say that nobody really claims that abortion is a light decision? Most people who speak about this issue, whether they see two lives to protect or just one, will acknowledge that this is a crisis. The last speaker in before Professor Pajkrt, yesterday evening, was a person who opposes abortion and has a child with severe disability. She spoke empathically about how every...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Obstetric Medicine in the Netherlands: Professor Sjef Gevers and Professor Eva Pajkrt, University of Amsterdam (23 Nov 2017)

Rónán Mullen: Yes. Do the witnesses acknowledge that is the stark truth of their position?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Obstetric Medicine in the Netherlands: Professor Sjef Gevers and Professor Eva Pajkrt, University of Amsterdam (23 Nov 2017)

Rónán Mullen: Even though-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Business of Joint Committee (22 Nov 2017)

Rónán Mullen: I have to confess that I would certainly need more than five minutes to go through the various allegations, implications and inaccurate assertions I have heard in this session alone. I will try my best to address the main points, which is that this committee has hastily but all too belatedly convened a session because it knows that the cat is out of the bag about the flawed processes and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Business of Joint Committee (22 Nov 2017)

Rónán Mullen: I will resume this at a later date if that is possible.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Business of Joint Committee (22 Nov 2017)

Rónán Mullen: I do not want to hold up our guests. We have a guest who wants to go to the airport.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Business of Joint Committee (22 Nov 2017)

Rónán Mullen: I would need at least twice as much of the time I have used to speak so far, so I would favour a more extended debate on this issue. I am happy to oblige the Chairman and the guest who must get to the airport.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Business of Joint Committee (22 Nov 2017)

Rónán Mullen: I have a question for the Chairman. I actually did a lot of preparation for this meeting and even when I am not present in the room I am willing to bet with my colleague across the floor that I am every bit as informed of the issues raised by witnesses as he himself is. Leaving that aside, however, I wish to ask the Chairman if she intends to return to this at a later point or whether I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Business of Joint Committee (22 Nov 2017)

Rónán Mullen: I never denied that the Chairman had a difficult job but-----