Complex laws not helping women: Rhona Mahony

The Master of the National Maternity Hospital has said the current abortion law in Ireland does nothing to help women.

Dr Rhona Mahony says pregnancies can be complicated and doctors have to be able to treat their patients without a 14-year custodial sentence hanging over them.

The Constitution provides for an equal right to life. However, Dr Mahony said medical decisions were made on the basis of risk assessment rather than individual rights.

She said the regime under which doctors work had to take account of the realities.

Speaking to Anton Savage on Today FM, Dr Mahony said we cannot legislate for everything when it comes to reproduction.

"We must have this flexibility to look after women," she said. "We do face very challenging clinical scenarios and we would like to be supported in that, rather than be up against complex definitions of law. That is not helping women."