Ladies and Gentlemen
Thank you for being here this morning.
Every year, thousands of women give birth in Ireland. For the vast majority of women and their families, this is an occasion of great joy, which ends in a healthy and happy outcome for mother and baby.
But, sometimes, there is a danger, which unfortunately becomes a reality for a small number of women, that they will find themselves in a medical situation, where their lives are at risk, and they depend on a termination of pregnancy.
This is a terrible and worrying situation for everyone concerned, but it does happen.
For 21 years, the law in Ireland, as laid down by the Supreme Court, has been that it is legal to end a pregnancy when there is a risk to the life of the mother. But because successive Governments have failed to legislate in line with the Supreme Court judgement, there has been a pall of uncertainty over this whole issue. Women, their partners, and their doctors have simply not been able to say with certainty, what would happen if they found their lives at risk.
Women have a right to know, that if the worst happens, they will be able to have life-saving treatment. For years, they have been denied that right: the simple right of knowing that, in the final analysis, their doctor can act to save their life. And the doctors who treat them, also need to know where they stand if they act to save a mother’s life.
Yesterday, the Government made a decision that that right will now be vindicated.
Let us remember that the X case arose because of a set of tragic and horrendous circumstances. A 14 year old girl was raped by someone close to her family, she became pregnant, and she was suicidal. Her family, seeking to protect her, found themselves before the courts. What the court found was that suicide is a threat to the life of a mother. It is rare, but it can happen, and the law of the land has to vindicate her right too. 21 years later, we are now, finally, in a position, to do so.
What we are doing here, is legislating for X. We are doing no more, and we are doing no less. We are doing so because it is our duty as legislators to vindicate the rights of tens of thousands of women, and their families.
I want to say, that I acknowledge that this is a sensitive and difficult issue. It is an issue which has evoked strong emotions across Irish society and within all political parties, on both sides of the debate. I am pleased that, today, we are finally legislating for the X case.
What we are doing is finding a sensible and workable solution that respects the rights of women, and that ensures that a woman’s voice will be heard
I hope that there will be a reasoned debate about the draft legislation – both in Leinster House, and in the wider public. I want to thank Minister James Reilly, Minister Frances Fitzgerald , and Ministers of State Alex White and Kathleen Lynch for the work and attention which they gave to drafting this important legislation.
Ends