Abortion should be allowed where a mother's mental health is threatened by the trauma of rape or incest, a psychologists' group told an Oireachtas committee hearing on abortion yesterday.
Psychologists for Freedom of Information also called for laws to give effect to the Supreme Court decision in the X case, which allows for abortion where there is a real and substantial risk to the life of the mother, including suicide.
Prof Hannah McGee told the Joint Committee on the Constitution that a recent US study showed that pregnant women were a third less likely to commit suicide than women who were not pregnant.
Prof McGee, from the Department of Health Services Research at the Royal College of Surgeons, said the international evidence on suicide and attempted suicide during pregnancy showed there were "real-life settings in which health and social service professionals had to support suicidal women". While such events were rare, the State should legislate to support and protect professionals doing their work.
Dr Geraldine Moane from the Department of Psychology at University College Dublin said psychiatrists and clinical psychologists regularly assessed the degree to which a patient was suicidal. Ms Liz McManus TD (Labour) asked if laws were passed enacting the X case ruling, would it become an "open door with people able to access abortion willy-nilly?"
Dr Moane said the view was that grounds would be "highly contained" if a person had to be assessed and documented and a team had to be consulted.
Prof McGee said professionals were increasingly willing to challenge the actions of other professionals. She thought there would be "quite strong policing" by fellow professionals of the management of any laws put in place.
In a separate submission, Dr Harith Lamki from the Royal Maternity Hospital in Belfast said patients came from the Republic for terminations in the North. In cases involving foetal abnormalities, patients were referred to Belfast specialists by doctors in the Republic.
"You are going to have to make room for legitimate terminations in Dublin without fear of someone being taken to court. At the same time, I don't think there should be room for social terminations," he said.