Labour's health spokesman Alan Kelly has published a new bill to allow parents who lose an unborn child due to medical negligence to seek compensation for mental distress.
Mr Kelly was joined at the launch of the Civil Liability (Amendment) Bill 2018 by the Underwood family from Wexford who lost their son Conor in 2012 due to medical negligence.
Derek Underwood said the only avenue open to them after the death of their son was to prove in court that his wife had emotionally suffered as a result.
"You have to prove that you have emotionally suffered from the death of your child and we can't allow that to happen any more.
"The days of putting women on trial to prove they have suffered at the hands of medical negligence, it's disgraceful and it needs to stop," Mr Underwood said.
Mr Kelly said there is an anomaly in the law which means that parents of a stillborn child do not have the same recourse under the law as those whose child was born alive.
Mignon Underwood broke down as she explained that all the cards are stacked against parents in their sitution, and they hoped the bill would be a legacy for their son Conor.
"It's been a very hard road. You are basically on trial, even though medical negligence is proven," she said.
"I would urge everyone in the Dáil to support this bill," Mr Underwood added.
WATCH: Health spokesman @alankellylabour publishes new bill to allow parents that lose an unborn child due to medical negligence to seek compensation for mental distress, addressing a legal anomaly. He was joined by Derek and Mignon Underwood who lost their son Conor in 2012. pic.twitter.com/pBeCdJ3XKU
— RTÉ Politics (@rtepolitics) June 13, 2018
