Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join other Senators in calling for a debate on the expert group report. It is important that the debate take place prior to any decisions being taken by the Government, if we are to have any input into that. Once the decision is made, all we will be doing is commenting after the event. It is interesting that the report discusses the role of psychiatrists and mentions that in the case of suicidal ideation there are recognised clinical challenges in correctly diagnosing express suicide intent. The absence of recognised clinical markers makes it a more subjective process. We must bear that in mind.

It was interesting for people who took the trouble to go to the address on the paper by Patricia Casey this morning to hear about the research she has carried out. It shows that between 1980 and 2011, a period of 31 years, there were 686,000 births in the three major maternity hospitals in Dublin. Two people died from what are called maternal suicides. Maternal suicide is where the woman dies during the pregnancy or within the six weeks following the birth. Both cases occurred in the six weeks following the birth. In one case, the woman had a history of depression and in the second case the woman had a history of abuse. There were, therefore, other reasons for it.

We must have this debate because the guidelines and regulations must be teased out vis-à-vis the option of legislation. The problem with taking the legislative route, according to what I am told by lawyers, is that one must legislate for the X case. That case includes suicide and taking that route means opting for a liberal abortion regime.