Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to comment on the issue of the inquiry, about which many other Senators have already spoken. Anyone who watched the "Prime Time" interview with Praveen Halappanavar last night could not fail to be moved by his dignity, the extent of his grief and the appalling situation that he is in. Clearly, a genuinely independent inquiry is needed and the key issue is that it would meet the needs of the family of Savita Halappanavar, as President Michael D. Higgins has said, in very careful terms. The Government must move quickly to ensure that such an inquiry is set up. It does not need to be a fully public tribunal and people are rightly concerned about the length of time, the extent of legal challenges and so forth that such a model might entail. We have plenty of other models of independent inquiries. Indeed, HIQA could carry one out and some of the genuinely independent people who have been appointed to the inquiry team could be involved in that. The key issue is that it must be done in consultation with the family.

Also, as events have unfolded - those of us who were at last night's vigil outside the Dáil will be conscious of this - a real consensus is emerging on the need for legislation on foot of the expert group report that is going to the Cabinet next week. We need to see a Government commitment to legislate. If the Government was to make that decision at the Cabinet next week and announce it, that would be very useful. We could then, in the Dáil and the Seanad, debate the content of the legislation in light of the expert group's report.

I remind Members that a briefing will be held at midday in meeting room A of Leinster House on the separation of church and State, which I am hosting, with Atheist Ireland. One of the speakers is the author Sanal Edamaruku, who is facing jail in India on a charge of blasphemy. The briefing will give us an opportunity to discuss our blasphemy law.