Top psychiatrists clash over impact of legislation

Two of the country’s top psychiatrists have clashed over the potential impact of legislation allowing abortion on the grounds of suicidal risk.

Dr Anthony McCarthy, president of the College of Psychiatry of Ireland and consultant perinatal psychiatrist at the National Maternity Hospital, said he could not see “floodgates” opening up in the event of such legislation being passed.

However, Prof Patricia Casey, of the department of adult psychiatry at UCD and the Mater Hospital, believed abortion would become widespread “within a short space of time” in such circumstances.