Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to speak to amendment No. 20. It proposes:

In page 9, between lines 5 and 6, to insert the following:"(c) where the unborn is sixteen weeks gestation or older, an effective anaesthetic for pain relief shall be administered to the foetus before the medical procedure is commenced, provided this does not increase the risk of the loss of life of the pregnant woman.".

The Minister will note I discussed this earlier today and I raise it again to let him know that I have agreed to defer it until Report Stage. I did that for the express reason that I hope that when we come back here on Monday to discuss it again the Minister will able to discuss foetal pain and how he proposes that would be addressed. I will leave further comment on this until then.