David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is not disingenuous at all.

There is a lot of smoke and mirrors being played here. Members are referring to lacunae, creating the impression there is some hidden agenda in the Bill with no legal protections for medical practitioners. I have so far listened for three hours to the debate on this issue. The Minister has said umpteen times that there is no hidden agenda. The Bill is explicitly clear. When dealing with medical procedures lawful under the legislation, it states clearly, “it shall be lawful”. It cannot be any clearer than that.

When Members, however, come in with all sorts of other arguments about lacunae and hidden agendas, using inflammatory language, I then question their motives. They cannot in all seriousness argue there are no legal protections for medical professionals in this Bill when everyone knows that is what the Bill is about. It only formalises existing law. That has already been said a million times in this debate. We are going around the houses over and over again. How many times have we heard the same argument from the same people? It is about time we moved on to section 9 which many Members want to debate.

Someone said we are trying to change the culture. No one is trying to change the culture. This Bill-----