Abortion law threat to doctors, FG warns

The proposed abortion legislation, which is due to be put to the electorate in a referendum early next year, could criminalise doctors, an Opposition TD argued yesterday.

Mr Gay Mitchell, Fine Gael spokesman on health, took issue with the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, at a Dβil select committee on abortion.

The select committee, a necessary preliminary stage of the legislative process, is discussing the proposed Protection of Human Life in Pregnancy Bill, which will provide the wording for the proposed 25th Amendment to the Constitution.

Mr Mitchell asked the minister to clarify whether the wording of the proposed legislation was in conflict with the guidelines from the Irish Medical Council.

According to the proposed Bill, a medical procedure may be carried out on a woman, which would result in the loss of the pregnancy, if it was "necessary to prevent a real and substantial risk of loss of the woman's life other than by self destruction."

The Medical Council guidelines, however, say that a medical procedure may be carried out on a woman which would result in the loss of the pregnancy if there "is a real and substantial risk to the life" of the woman. Mr Mitchell argued that there was a difference in degree between a "real and substantial risk of loss of the woman's life" and a "real and substantial risk to the life" of the woman.