James Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I had not intended speaking on this issue but it is very important. I have listened very carefully to what Senator Ruane had to say. There are difficult cases which she has described and which no doctor would be happy about if they were not accommodated. However, I have also heard the Minister's response, which makes it very clear that if, in the doctor's opinion, this represents a serious risk to life - domestic violence clearly represents such a risk - the doctor will have discretion. I am very much reassured by this. I have no need to point out in this House that hard cases make bad law. The fact that we have this question here reassures me greatly. In general, given that Irish people voted in the referendum for this change and this legislation was published before the referendum and was in their minds as being what the result would be, I believe they would rightly feel deceived by the Government if it were to remove this clause.

I have always been of the view that these are ultimately matters for doctors and their patients. I recognise and believe that the medical profession tries to act with the best interests of the patient at heart. That is what doctors are trained to do. The reason many of us did medicine was to help and this legislation, as outlined by the Minister, represents the wishes of the majority of Irish people. I absolutely respect the opinions of those who take a different view and the fact that 34% voted otherwise. If we were to interfere with this legislation now, however, we would not serve women well. We would further delay, as I said earlier in this debate, its arrival on the Statute Book. Every day, eight women will leave this country and three more will get abortifacient pills over the Internet, the safety of which is anyone's guess. We have already pointed out the dangers this could present to them, and then there is the issue of women failing to present to a medical practitioner for fear of being in breach of the law and reported to the police.

In summary, I hope the Minister's words and the provision allowing for the discretion of doctors to be applied will reassure the Senators who feel the need to remove this three-day clause.