Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the sentiments expressed about section 6 and the expenses. I had intended asking the same question that Senator Healy Eames just asked. There are a few issues to consider. One is obviously the cost. Generally, although not always, when a Bill is brought before the House there is a breakdown of the additional cost to the Exchequer. In this case there is no breakdown of the cost the Bill will impose on the Exchequer. Obviously, it will depend on the number of abortions that take place on the ground of suicide, and nobody can predict that. Has the Department carried out any statistical or evidence-based prediction work in respect of the number of abortions that could occur and the cost associated with that?

If individual citizens of this country have a conscientious objection to abortion, particularly if it is a conscientious objection to abortion on the suicide ground, and they are paying taxes in this country to fund essential services, they would also have a huge conscientious objection to that tax being used to fund abortions in public hospitals. I am anxious to hear the Minister of State's response to that issue.

The other issue is whether the moneys that will be used will be competing with hip replacements, knee operations, disability procedures, cancer treatments and so forth. Will there be competing demands? In each HSE region, including Donegal, the HSE manager is given a budget and they must live within that budget. What will change in this case? Will a dedicated budget be made available by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform just to fund abortions alone or will it come out of the budgets that are given to the various HSE managers?

Finally, there is the issue of abortion tourism, for want of a better word, which has been raised with many Members of the Oireachtas. A woman who is seeking a late term abortion and whose own jurisdiction, be it the UK, Canada, France or Italy, has term limits, would be able to avail of a late term abortion in the Republic of Ireland due to there being no term limit on abortions in this country. Who will pay for that if it happens, or will the Government say it is only available to women who have Irish passports? Can that be clarified?