Rotunda Master before Eighth committee

Master of the Rotunda Hospital, Fergal Malone, will give his opinion to the Dáil’s Eighth Amendment committee today during a meeting which will also hear from his Holles Street counterpart, Rhona Mahony.

In an opening statement to the committee, seen by the Irish Examiner, Prof Malone will stress that he does not want to be seen as either pro-choice or anti-abortion, as any labels may limit his future patients’ trust in him.

However, in practical terms, he said lawmakers should consider allowing Irish-based doctors to perform abortions in cases where the pregnancy is clearly not viable, instead of leaving them with the choice of continuing the non-viable pregnancy or travelling to Britain or other countries for an abortion.

“Obstetricians and maternity hospitals in Ireland should be able to provide complete and appropriate healthcare services to their patients without the threat of a criminal conviction,” Prof Malone will tell the committee this afternoon.

“Section 22 of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013 specifies that no prosecution would occur without the consent of the DPP, and presumably this would unlikely be given in a situation where a doctor or hospital was acting in good faith to care for a patient in a difficult circumstance.

“Nonetheless, when faced with the practical reality of caring for mothers with complex foetal abnormalities, it is difficult to justify retaining the threat of criminal conviction for doctors or hospitals providing appropriate and contemporary healthcare.”

Prof Malone will decline to specify the exact cut-off point at which he would allow an abortion and will also say it would not be appropriate to give a list of conditions that define a fatal foetal abnormality.

However, noting that 55 women travelled from the Rotunda to Britain for an abortion in 2016 following a fatal foetal abnormality diagnosis, he will say the issue can no longer be ignored.