Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will not be in a position to accept this amendment proposed by Senators, which is, as acknowledged by Senators Ó Domhnaill and Mullen, virtually indistinguishable from an amendment on this subject put forward in the Dáil. While I can see that the amendments are proposed with the care of infants in mind and I do not dispute the Senators' bona fides on that either, the purpose of this legislation is not to regulate obstetric procedures which do not constitute termination of pregnancy, nor to dictate the practice of obstetrics or of medicine more generally. It is not appropriate to insert compulsory care pathways or treatment plans in legislation and Senators will not find any example of that relating to a woman or an infant child in this regard.

I hope we can agree on the fact that there is no doubt that medical practitioners are always required to maintain professional standards and to uphold medical ethics, as governed by Medical Council guidelines. Our doctors, nurses and midwives are bound through professional regulatory mechanisms, to deliver medical services in accordance with best medical practice.

Similar to our previous discussion quite some time ago yesterday on the issue of viability and the supports that would be provided to a baby born at the point of viability, it is the same here. Any baby born in our maternity hospitals, regardless of the circumstances of their birth or how they came into the world, will receive all the neonatal supports that any other child born in that hospital, regardless of the circumstances, would also receive and of that there is genuinely no doubt.

The Senator makes comparisons with other countries and I do not doubt his research although I am not familiar with it but what I can say is that in this country, we are talking about terminations that will be provided in our maternity hospitals. We are talking about maternity hospitals that look after hundreds if not thousands of newborn babies every single day and that is exactly what they will do in an indiscriminate manner, regardless of how a baby comes into the world.

In summary, we do not legislate for compulsory care pathways or treatment plans in our Bill. There is no need to do this. Our doctors, nurses and midwives are responsible to their own regulatory bodies and to medical ethics and for the same reasons that I did not accept the amendment on this in the Dáil, I do not intend to accept the amendment in this House.