Eight years ago, the Irish people voted to repeal the eighth amendment. Many people voted because of the tragic stories they heard about women who were forced to the UK to have their terminations. Unfortunately, eight years later, far too many women still have to go to the UK for those terminations.

My niece is one of those women. She bravely told the story of what happened to her on this morning's episode of "Today with David McCullagh". She was pregnant and her baby had a severe brain malformation. She was told by all the consultants that termination was the right way to go but none of them would actually sign off on it and let her have that termination here in Ireland. She went to the UK and was looked after so well in Liverpool. When she was leaving Liverpool, the consultant told her to hide her baby in the boot of the car. Éadha was a much-wanted and much-loved baby. There is no protocol for coming home. There are so many gaps. We need to ensure that the 28-day time limit is reviewed. There also need to be support for women-----

Deputy, there will be further-----

-----like my niece who are still facing that awful challenge-----

Deputy Whitmore, thank you.

-----of trying to get their babies home to bury them with respect.

Taoiseach to respond. Thank you.

First of all, I did not hear that programme this morning and offer my sincere sympathies to the Deputy's niece and the wider family. I will have to check the background to this but would the consultants not have been obliged under the law to sign? I do not have the full background.

They could not say whether she would live beyond the 28 days.

The Taoiseach is going to need a lot more information.

That was a fairly fundamental part of the referendum, if we are honest, a number of years ago and then the legislation that followed. That would need consideration. The best thing I can do is to replay the programme, listen to the Deputy's niece and hear the circumstances.

The Taoiseach will correspond.