Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----and there is no consistency in terms of the delivery of sex education in schools across the country. We need a far more mature approach to this as a society and in schools. I will not be much longer. There is an urgent need to bring sex education into the 21st century.

I am not going to speak about counselling and obstetric care. It is obviously very important as well. I want to address just a few other small points before I conclude. Senator Swanick made a very good point with regard to GP practices. I urge the Minister to consult with the medics when it comes to this because many GPs feel very overworked as it is with the free care of the under-sixes and so on. It is very important that there would be consultation on this with GPs in particular.The Senator also mentioned how people were being labelled in this debate. What is the pro-life versus pro-choice thing about now? It does not make any sense when one sits in committee and hears the evidence. It is not about the polarised sides of the arguments.

Senator Ruane raised the issue of education, which is a crucial point. Those Oireachtas Members who were on the committee are now somewhat overeducated on this issue but other Members need to really engage with the evidence we heard because it is vital that people understand why we came to the decision we came to. Senator Bacik made a good point about the Attorney General and things that are being considered. She spoke of how dangerous replacing the eighth amendment would be in terms of the uncertainty that would arise.

Senator Kelleher's personal story was very touching. She allowed Senator Ruane to stay on the committee and that was generous of her. Indeed, all the committee members took a very fair approach to that. Senator Mullen is not here because he takes an àla carteapproach here like he did on the committee. He was allowed more time than anyone else in the committee but he still says not enough time was given. He had double, if not triple, the time anyone else had to speak. He spoke about the atmosphere being chilly towards certain minorities but I was a minority as Chair. I got some chilly-----