Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I will repeat what I said earlier. My understanding of the legislation we are discussing relates to formalising the law as it currently stands in this country and to give clarity to the current legal position. There are about 50,000 live births in this country every year. For every 50,000 live births here every year there are approximately 14,000 miscarriages. A considerable number of those miscarriages take place between 14 and 16 weeks, though the majority take place at a much earlier stage.

That figure should have been 70,000 births and 14,000 miscarriages. A hell of a lot of muddying of the waters has been going on here with regard to this issue. It seems there is an attempt being made to distinguish children who are born into the world as an unfortunate consequence of the efforts to try to save the life of the mother from children who are born prematurely in the natural way. Having sat through many days of hearings, I understand there is no difference between these two categories. The medical professionals engaged at the forefront of obstetrics and gynaecology in this country do not differentiate between these, but do everything they can to save the lives of those children.

With regard to negligence and who is responsible, an unwanted child who, for the sake of argument, is born to a drug addict in one of our Dublin hospitals is in the same position and needs the same care as a child who may be born because there is a threat to the life of the mother. It does not matter how the child comes into the world; the State's responsibility is the same. Either that child is cared for by parents who are capable of caring for it or the State cares for it. I do not see a difference. It surprises me that we are going over and over these issues. I have lost track of the number of times we have gone over it.

I understand that all children who are born must be cared for by the State, irrespective of the situation in which they are born. The State has a responsibility. It does not matter whether the child is born due to the fact an effort is being made to save the life of the mother. If that child is viable, it will be protected by the State. I am at a complete loss to understand the point being made by the Senator.