The National Maternity Hospital gave no apology for its role in the abortion of a misdiagnosed unborn child, as Dáil questions were raised about why the State funded its legal defence, and pro-life groups sought assurances from the Minister for Health that no such scenario would ever come to pass again.

On Tuesday, the hospital, five consultants at Merrion Fetal Health clinic, and a Glasgow lab accepted legal liability, and on Wednesday a settlement was agreed. However, solicitor for the couple, Caoimhe Haughey tweeted ”#WrongfulTermination. No APOLOGY, not a modicum of remorse or regret on the part of the National Maternity Hospital nor the Five Consultants”.

Separately, Peadar Toibin used a debate on the proposed relocation of the National Maternity Hospital to call for a full public inquiry into case. He also proposed an amendment to Social Democrats motion seeking explanation for why the State funded the legal defence of the private clinic defendant in that case.

Meanwhile, the Pro-Life Campaign have asked “how many other babies have lost their lives under Ireland’s new abortion law as a result of parents being given a misdiagnosis regarding the health of their baby?”

In addition, they asked what assurances “can the Minister for Health give to women and parents that the baby Christopher case was an isolated case since the law took effect in 2019”.