Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I ask you to please impose some kind of structure and fairness here when a person is attacked, as I was when seeking to tease out matters. I thought I was being reasonably clear. Senator Ruane has responded in a personal way and implied some kind of motivation or attitude in me that certainly is not there. How can we have a fair process here if, once one has finished trying to respectfully elicit information and answers, one is attacked in a frontal and emotional way by a colleague? It is making a farce of this procedure. Anybody listening would know of my bona fides in my line of questioning. It would be a great regret to me if Senator Ruane was upset but I cannot remember anything I said that would have been objectionable. I was trying to deal with complex mental health grounds for abortion and people with a history of mental health issues being particularly vulnerable.

First, I clarify there was certainly nothing of bad intent in what I say. Second, I should not need to make such a clarification. To be taken on in this way by a colleague with no chance other than by seeking a point of order to respond does not auger well for this process. We have had problems of this kind on countless other occasions.