Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The position in our country contradicts what Ms O'Connor is saying. In an answer to the Chairman's question, the special rapporteur clarified that the UN has nothing to say to contradict abortion at any stage before birth and that is very revealing. Many Irish people will find that absolutely chilling. I noticed the chairperson of the National Women's Council of Ireland nodding in approval as he conceded that.

We have asked what the UN supports but it is important to realise that we are talking about UN committees, which have been interpreting treaties to which member states have signed up. These committees claim a moral authority and, on the back of that, declare that what they say is the UN's position. In reality, these committees are highly ideological and their new version of human rights, which excludes babies before birth, has no legal standing. This is why I say that what the special rapporteur is doing is so dangerous. He has such a radicalised, perverted concept of human rights that he is undermining the moral authority of the UN in many areas.

Ms O'Connor represents an organisation that is an umbrella body for different women's organisations and gets significant State funding. Perhaps she will tell us how much it gets. She does not speak for many of the women who are members of these organisations and she never acknowledges the differences of opinion they have. In surveys, the figures of those opposed to abortion are slightly higher among women than among men but the National Women's Council never speaks for them or acknowledges their existence. The Constitution acknowledges the equal right to life of the unborn, meaning they are constitutionally protected human beings. Is it not anomalous to get massive State funding to advocate a position that not everyone shares and goes directly against one of our fundamental constitutional rights? Can Ms O'Connor give me any other example of an organisation which is opposed to the constitutional rights of other human beings in this country but which gets significant State support? Can she not concede that, whatever about our difference of opinion, this is at least anomalous? Would she not concede that she should also give voice to the thousands of women who are members of the organisations for which the National Women's Council is an umbrella group but who differ from her in believing that unborn children are human beings and ought not to be killed before birth?