‘No question of time limit’ for abortion, junior minister claims

Minister of State at the Department of Health, Alex White has said that there is no question of a time limit on how late into a pregnancy an abortion can be carried out in circumstances where a woman's life is at risk.

Speaking on RTE Radio, Mr White there was “no question of a time limit” in the heads of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill, but pointed to the the stringency of the test that applied under the proposed legislation:

“Let’s just keep reminding ourselves how onerous the test is - there must be a real and substantial risk to the life of the mother that can only be averted by having a termination. I think it’s worth reflecting on the stringency of that test and how unusual it would be for such circumstances to arise but they do arise and they can arise.

“In the constitution back in 1983 the Irish people put an amendment into their constitution which is an overarching constitutional protection for unborn life. There isn’t anything like that provision that I’m aware of in any other constitution in the world.

“It is very, very, very strong but it is not absolute. It’s not absolute when there’s a danger, a real substantial risk to the life of the mother and that’s what the Constitution says and in 1992 the Supreme Court explained that that’s what it must mean.

“And 20 years on we have to put in a process to allow people to avail of a right that they have. It’s a right that women already have. What’s the point of a Constitutional right that can’t be exercised? There’s no point in such a right. So all we’re doing here in this legislation is putting into law, into the statute law, a process by which a woman can avail of a right that she has in this country.”

Asked if he was confirming that there will not be a time limit, Mr White replied: “That’s clear there is no question of a time limit. There’s no question of a time limit in this legislation.”

On the issue of suicidal ideation as a grounds for an abortion which, under the heads of the Bill requires that two psychiatrists and an obstetrician to jointly certify that there is a real and substantial risk of suicide, Mr White was questioned as to whether this gives the obstetrician a veto in a psychiatric matter in which he or she is not qualified.

In response, Mr White said he would expect that in relation to a psychiatric matter the treating obstetrician would have “some professional level of deference to psychiatrists who were making a psychiatric assessment”.