Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach.

This debate is deeply sensitive and I treat it with the greatest of respect. I want to clarify. I was a little disappointed with Senator Power, who inferred that I made a value judgment. I made no value judgment, and would not make a value judgment, between the two sets of women on how they decided to deal with their diagnosis of fatal foetal abnormality. One group of women absolutely needed to know that they could terminate the life here; they had to travel to England. The other group chose to give birth to their babies. What I said was that having heard women from both groups - this was news to me because, as I stated, I found it the hardest one of all - the group that came across happier to me were the ones who gave birth. They cried with joy because they had reference points with their family. They had minutes together with their child. They had hours, and some had years, despite the diagnosis. That did not come across to me from the other group.