Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. I can see how upset Senator Clifford-Lee is. These situations are real, they do happen and they do affect people. Whatever one's view is on the termination of pregnancy and what was decided in the referendum, once the law of the land is in place, it needs to be respected. People need to be able to access what are legal services, without being harassed. People are going into hospitals as a result of miscarriages, stillbirths and having to have a termination. They should be able to go in and out of the hospitals in this country without any intimidation, hassle or protest. It is a simple ask. Irrespective of the views held on these issues, I think most people would respect the fact that we should be able to access medical services without fear of harassment or intimidation. That is what this legislation does. As has been said, the reviews that the Minister has put in place as part of the legislation are very welcome. I know the legislation has been tricky and difficult. People like me were pushing very hard to have it expedited for good reason, because of the situations outlined by our colleague, and others that we are aware of. Together for Safety has done a lot of work in this area. The health committee has also done a significant body of work in the engagements we have had. The legislation being brought forward by the Minister is reasonable. It takes cognisance of the difficulties and the challenges that exist. It is designed to protect people. Nobody goes into a situation like this by choice. It is usually the result of very difficult circumstances. I think the legislation is balanced, I thank the Minister for bringing it to the House and I sincerely hope it passes without any difficulty.