We ask that ALL members of the 8th Committee read the Citizens Assembly report in full.

It was clear from proceedings at the first public meeting of the 8th Committee, some of the members were not at all familiar with the Citizens Assembly report, nor had viewed the CA materials in any meangiful way.

All members of this committee have a responsibility to the people of Ireland, particularly those who can become pregnant, to be aware of all the medical information, legal argument, facts and personal stories that were presented to the CA.

Many of those that stood up and spoke at the CA did so at great personal cost, in order ensure that the full impact of the 8th amendment would become public knowledge, for the repercussions and nuances to be explored fully. They gave up their time and their privacy so that future generations would no longer have to live under such barbaric law.

It was quite clear yesterday that some members of the 8th Committee, when asking very obvious questions, or making grand and often incorrect assumptions, had not engaged with the CA material.

It is insulting to all those who made representations to the CA. It is insulting to all members of the CA who gave up so much of their personal time to actively listen to all of those who spoke. It is insulting to the members of the committee who have engaged.

It is insulting to all of us who are having to rely on our elected representatives, the legislators of this country, to decide our fate.

We ask those that have yet to engage with the CA materials, to do so immediately and that you treat the issue with the respect and attention it deserves.