David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have no problem with either title. Can the Minister tell me when a termination is not an abortion? It seems to me it is such, and we should be honest. What upsets me about this Bill is that it is a queasy little Irish solution for an Irish problem, which is an insult to Irish people. We should be open and address the issue, tragic as it is, and we should be making provision for cases of fatal foetal abnormality.

It is astonishing that the Minister for Health stated he did not know he was excluding health reasons, given that he is the Minister for Health. I do not mind if this is called the abortion Bill; that is fine by me. I am not sure it does protect life in every circumstance, going on the basis of the words used by the Taoiseach, who said nothing had changed. He said, "This Bill changes nothing". The implication of that is very clear. A woman in the same situation as Savita Halappanavar would face exactly the same circumstances as she did and therefore could die. How on earth can that be the protection of life?