Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach. I do not necessarily agree with my colleagues. I would nonetheless like to repeat a question I already asked about the words "serious", "serious harm" or "appropriate". Language is extremely important in this context.Nobody has told me how "appropriate" will be defined. Will it merely be a synonym for the exercise of a doctor's clinical judgment? What factors will the doctor take into account in assessing the appropriateness of a termination? I asked before, and did not receive an answer, if the pregnant person's subjective assessment of her own risk will be taken into account. How much weight will it carry in the assessment of appropriateness? It seems as though the appropriateness is on everyone's side except the woman's. I am worried about that. There is a similar problem with the language of "serious". I am arguing this from a completely different standpoint to that of my colleagues, whose argument is equally as important, but I want to know how it works for the woman. Whatever the clinician thinks is appropriate, the woman might not think is appropriate at all.