Prime Minister Robert Abela said he wants the debate on the proposed legal amendments to IVF legislation to be based on facts.

Addressing Parliament, he recounted some of the problems couples face when it comes to having children. “We cannot remain indifferent” in the face of suffering facing by children and their families, he said.

Mentioning a couple who had spoken to him personally, Abela said that he could not remain indifferent when they revealed that their child would have genetic problems.

“Doing nothing would have been the easier road; but we are here to create a fairer society, that gives the same opportunities for everyone, which is the aim of this legal reform,” he said.

Speaking about the debate on the proposed IVF amendments, Abela said that there are going to be many theories and ethical arguments, but these “are going to come from people who haven’t been in these situations.”

Abela said that a PL government is going to present the solution by being decisive and courageous about the matter.

He said that the proposed amendments are significant, and that it is a decision between creating more lives or leaving many couples suffering as they see their baby’s health deteriorate after or before birth, because of a genetic disease.

Abela said that the government does not want to see couples going abroad to go through IVF procedures, as it does not want them to go through such treatment without their family.

Speaking about the Pre-Implantation Genetic testing for monogenic disorders, he said that with these legal reforms there will be also stable medical protocols, as it is going to filter applicant couples depending on their needs and their genetic make-up.

The PM said that the final decision will be the final say on whether the nation wants for couples to become new parents with the latest technology or not.

He said that the IVF tabled document contains a list of health conditions for which the PGT-M might be considered, and rejected the notion that anyone will be eligible for such tests.

“We need to trust medical experts that have done their best and have lived through the experiences and the voyage of these patients,” he said.