John Gilroy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

The legislation proposes that an abortion shall be lawful to save the life of a woman where doctors, in their reasonable opinion, believe that the risk can only be averted by that procedure. The word "only" is the one I am emphasising here. We are all agreed that section 8 relates to those awful situations which sometimes occur where a termination is necessary. There are certain syndromes or conditions whereby an otherwise healthy baby will threaten the life of an otherwise healthy mother. Senator Jim Walsh says that such cases do not exist, but they do. They consist mainly of syndromes which present the risk of pulmonary hypertension in the woman. I will not mention other syndromes because I do not want to distress people who might suffer from them. It is important that we contain ourselves in this discussion. I could give Senator Walsh a graphic description of what happens in such cases, but it would serve absolutely no purpose other than offending people who might have experienced it.

If we agree that there are circumstances where the deliberate taking of the life of the child, because of a medical emergency, is legitimate, then we accept the legitimacy of section 8. I presume Senators Walsh and Brian Ó Domhnaill and even Senator Rónán Mullen accept that position. It follows then that the only thing separating my position from theirs is a question of degree.