Results 1,461-1,480 of 6,595 for speaker:Ruth Coppinger

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Ruth Coppinger: I support the amendment. We have also put down amendments opposing sections 5 and 6. What is the purpose of criminalising abortion? Presumably, it is to prevent people from carrying out dangerous abortions or charging people vast sums, which would be an incentive to work outside this Act. However, what is being proposed is free and universal access so the danger of that happening is not...

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Ruth Coppinger: To put the matter in context, such late abortions are extremely rare. When we questioned Dr. Boylan at the committee, the figure was approximately 0.1%. The amendments vary in their wording, but, generally, the fear is the same. This relates to cases where a pregnant woman needs a late abortion. The fear is that there could be hesitation because in the legislation there is a reference to...

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Ruth Coppinger: Would another option not be to delete section 10(1)(b)? The Minister might think that is ridiculous------

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Ruth Coppinger: -----but we are talking about a situation in which somebody's life is at risk. Doctors are not going to go around killing babies or something like that. The Minister is actually putting in a stipulation that a termination of pregnancy cannot be carried out where there is viability even if somebody's life is at risk. Would it not be better to leave that out of the law and, like the Minister...

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Ruth Coppinger: It is only 6.45 p.m.

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Ruth Coppinger: I move amendment No. 42:In page 9, line 10, after “out” to insert “by a competently trained medical practitioner”. This was discussed earlier, so there is no point in rehashing it. We discussed broadening the scope of what is a medical practitioner. This is another of those amendments.

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Ruth Coppinger: There are two or three issues in this group which arise together. The Bill as it stands does not allow a voice for the pregnant woman, the person most affected by this section. That has to be corrected. It could be done in a number of ways, for example by the Minister supporting the amendments which provide for the ascertaining of the views of the woman. Amendment No. 54 is similar to...

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Ruth Coppinger: I will leave it at that.

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Ruth Coppinger: Can I just ask-----

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Ruth Coppinger: To avoid any risk of people thinking one can have one's life saved with an abortion over the phone, the phrase "following a medical examination and in consultation with the pregnant woman" or something similar could be used. The words "consultation with" are important because in any medical situation - be it cancer, a heart operation or an amputation - it is consultation with the person...

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Ruth Coppinger: If it is possible, yes.

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Ruth Coppinger: Absolutely.

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Ruth Coppinger: Some of these points were made on Second Stage and have been made subsequently. There was a difference between what the committee on the eighth amendment recommended - if we are concerned about following the committee's lead when it suits- and what this states. The bar is being raised by using the term "serious harm" as opposed to "risk to health". It is a bit frustrating for those of us...

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Ruth Coppinger: People are generally agreed that we are taking those two or three issues.

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Ruth Coppinger: Of all the issues we are discussing this is very serious. We were scrutinising the 28 day period and while that was serious this is important because of Savita Halappanavar and others. For example, we could all speculate, and I often have said that if she had been in another hospital she would be alive today. I believe it was random. My point is that the situation is subjective. Women's...

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Ruth Coppinger: Are we finishing now?

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Ruth Coppinger: I wish to comment on deciding what to do on this amendment. This shows that things were said in the referendum campaign that should not have been said. People's health is important and we should not be introducing degrees. Also, this is working from the fallacy that women will be running to their doctors and exaggerating in order to get abortions after 12 weeks, because one can get one up...

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Ruth Coppinger: There was also the floodgates argument that we should look at the regime in Britain where health is used. The reality should have been argued that 92% of abortions are in the first 12 weeks and this will arise in very few cases. The Minister has just cited a respiratory tract infection. That is usually a passing thing that can be dealt with and nobody will have an abortion just for that reason.

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Ruth Coppinger: I know but it would be a risk to health-----

Select Committee on Health: Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2018)

Ruth Coppinger: -----although it would not be serious.