The Health Committee has voted against inserting a specific clause to ban abortions on the basis of sex, race or any condition or disability.
Health Minister Simon Harris stressed that the legislation to allow for abortion services in this country would never allow a woman to seek a termination on disability or other grounds mentioned in the amendment.
Simon Harris at the Health Commitee today. Photo: Oireachtas TV
He said the amendment was "unnecessary" and suggested it was "an attempt to have a gotcha moment".
The Health Committee are now into a second day of discussion and debate on the 180 amendments tabled on The Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018.
A total of 10 TDs had asked that an amendment to specifically reference that a termination of the pregnancy could not be sought because of the sex or race of the foetus concerned or because of any condition or disability affecting the foetus concerned.
Peadar Toibín admitted the amendment would be "very hard to implement" but would "send a wonderful message" that the State are protecting the rights of those with a condition or disability.
Responding, Mr Harris said that when framing legislation everything that is lawful is inserted into a Bill meaning anything else is unlawful.
He suggested that the amendment was an attempt to make the section of the Bill "inoperable".
Fine Gael TD Kate O'Connell said the amendment was "deliberately designed to inflame the situation" adding that it was "disrespectful" to suggest that people with down syndrome "are only here because of the eighth amendment".
. @campaignforkate says it is "disrespectful" to suggest that people with down syndrome "are only here because of the eighth amendment" and tells the Health Committee that some people are trying to "rerun" the referendum #iestaff
— Elaine Loughlin (@Elaine_Loughlin) November 7, 2018
A vote on the amendment was lost, with seven members voting against it and just one committee member Sinn Féin's Louise O'Reilly abstaining.
The Committee has now moved on to examine the three day waiting period in accessing abortion services.
Solidarity-PBP TD Ruth Coppinger said this mandatory waiting time wasn't sought by the committee which examined the eighth amendment and is not supported by doctors, she described it as "patriarchal".
However, Bernard Durkin pointed to other countries which have included a waiting time and said this must be retained.
