Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The only reason I am rising is to put on the record what I indicated in my Second Stage contribution, namely, that I fully support 90% of the legislation. I have absolutely no difficulty with section 7. I have every trust in the medical profession in this country and I believe it has acted in the best interests of the mother and the unborn baby in distressed situations. I am aware, like everybody else, that sadly the baby's life has been lost in situations in hospitals in which medical personnel have been faced with the awful dilemma of deciding life-and-death issues. I would never wish to be in that situation. This Bill, in common with the 2002 legislation, gives the legal clarity the medical profession has sought. I hope this is the end of the argument in respect of the seeking of any further clarification by the medical profession, that it will just get on with it and incorporate the legislation we are passing here, including this section, into its own ethical code, and that the Medical Council will act accordingly and will be satisfied with the decision.