Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I support amendments Nos. 4 and 18. I will also speak on amendment No. 5, which I have tabled. The key point is the voice of the woman. We had one of the great outcomes for Irish society from what was, at times, a very difficult referendum. This was the ending of a very long silencing of women on their experiences and the decisions they often had to make about which they could not speak to anybody. I ask the Minister to note there is support across the House, particularly in respect of amendment No. 4. If necessary I will withdraw amendment No. 5 to support it.

What the Minister is hearing from the House is that we want to ensure women are consulted. These are very reasonable amendments. They do not relate to an emergency or a risk to life or health. The amendments recognise these are particular circumstances. The amendments are to the sections on where there is risk to life or health but not in an emergency context. It is in a context whereby each woman is considering what are the risks and what do they mean to her. Is it a 60% risk or a 20% risk? As we heard very eloquently during the hearings of the committee on the eighth amendment, what one person might consider a risk might be experienced differently by somebody else. Consultation is key and I am sure it is the intent of the Minister to copperfasten that this consultation would take place. Unfortunately, we have had a culture of a lack of consultation with women.

Amendment No. 18 deals with circumstances in which the foetus is not likely to survive. These are situations where we would hope that consultation would be part of the process but we have seen in the past that consultation has not always been the culture in our health service.

Amendment No. 5, which I have tabled with Senator Kelleher, is slightly different. It proposes there should be examination where necessary and consultation where possible. This is to deal with concern about any examination that would take place. We do not want unnecessarily intrusive examinations. Examinations that take place should be necessary and should not be, for example, because of the legal fears that doctors might rightly have given other parts of the Bill. An examination should take place for medical necessity. No woman should be subject to unduly invasive examinations if they are not required or medically necessary. This is the spirit of amendment No. 5 but given that the weight of the House is behind amendment No. 4, I am happy enough to withdraw amendment No. 5, reserve the right to introduce it if necessary on Report Stage and give my support to amendment No. 4.