Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am concerned about the ramifications of yesterday's decision to legislate for the judgment in the X case on the grounds of suicide. This is a flawed and dangerous basis on which to legislate for mothers and children. We have learned a great deal in the past 20 years and there is broad agreement that abortion is not a treatment for mental health problems and that the correct action to take is to treat people for such problems. In framing the legislation we must ensure the most important matter to be considered is the intention in making the intervention. The guiding principle in such interventions must be life saving as opposed to life destroying or life taking in nature. Like many others, I wish to ensure we will not deliver a wording which will, in time, open the door to abortion on demand in this country. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on this matter as early as possible in the new year. We should, perhaps, have a number of such debates in order that we might frame the most appropriate legislation to protect the lives of mothers and their children, where possible. I reiterate that the intention must be life saving rather than life taking in nature.