Jillian van Turnhout (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It would be useful. Perhaps we are all saying the same thing but we are not all hearing the same thing. To echo the Senator's comments and Senator Ó Clochartaigh's proposal, perhaps we could have a brief gap of a few minutes between Committee and Report Stage to allow a comprehensive statement to be put on the record of the House. This is in preference to just having a statement that this element is in the Bill or it is not there. May we have such a clear statement? It should outline the types of services that will be available and when the guidelines will emerge for the women. We are all focused on that. When the guidelines are available, the women will know they have the right to access those services.

I am not suggesting that we go piece by piece and I do not mind if we pause for a while to allow the Minister of State to put together a comprehensive statement that can bring about absolute clarity. We do not want to play ping-pong and I want us all to walk out of here today feeling that we have done some good. At the moment I do not feel that way because I have not heard clarity in the statements.