Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would like to endorse both the issues and concerns that Senator van Turnhout has raised - in particular, the one concerning Internet service providers. I commend the scouting associations for keeping the emphasis on this matter. The Senator's second issue was no less important.

I would be grateful if the Leader could arrange for the Minister for Health to attend the House to discuss what the Government's plans are on abortion. It seems that this issue is being debated everywhere except in this House. I am not happy or impressed by the manner in which, on the one hand, the Government is not communicating with many interested stakeholders but, on the other hand, we are being subjected to the raising of hares, leaks and counter-leaks about what the Government intends to do.

The confusion on this issue was expressed in The Irish Times today which stated, incorrectly I believe, that a small group of Fine Gael TDs and Senators remain firmly opposed to the Government's expressed strategy of giving legal clarity on abortion in cases where the mother's life is at risk. Let us be clear, everybody agrees that there must be clarity about when it is legitimate to intervene to protect a mother's life, which must always be done. The issue is suicide and there is no getting away from it. That is why it was a charade at the weekend to be talking about a panel of any kind deciding something for which there is no medical basis.

I would draw the attention of the House, including the Leader, to the latest research from Professor David Ferguson who is a pro-choice voice but a scholar who tells the truth on the issues. This was published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. Professor Ferguson finds that there is no available evidence to suggest that abortion has therapeutic effects in reducing the mental health risks of an unwanted or unintended pregnancy. He concludes that there is suggestive evidence that abortion may be associated with small to moderate increases in risks of some mental health problems, risks of anxiety, alcohol misuse and suicidal behaviour. He goes on to say that these conclusions have important, if uncomfortable, implications for clinical practice and the interpretation of the law in those jurisdictions which require abortion to be authorised on medical grounds.