Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend you, Chairman, for the manner in which you have chaired the proceedings in difficult and trying circumstances. It had not been my intention to address remarks directly to any person, but since that is happening we all might as well lash into it.

Senator Mullen said that if we were hearing anything he was saying for the first time that perhaps it would give us pause to think. Of course, we have heard it. We have heard it comprehensively challenged, contradicted and debunked by the simple facts. We have not sought evidence from pro-abortion campaigners. We have heard from the masters of our maternity hospitals, the men and women we trust to look after women, our daughters and friends. We have heard from the people who are at the coalface of looking after women. They have told us clearly, in a way one could not misunderstand or misinterpret, that the eighth amendment is an impediment to them doing their job. Professor Malone, Dr. Peter Boylan and Dr. Rhona Mahony said it. The evidence is already there. It does not suit the narrative put forward by Senator Mullen, which is reminiscent perhaps of what people were saying in 1983, but we have moved on. That is clear.

However, I wish to address some issues that arose during the proceedings of this committee. It is not long since I was elected and many members of the committee are also not long elected, so I took the liberty of looking back over committee proceedings from previous Dáileanna. It is most unusual for people to sit right up beside witnesses in that way.

In fact, I did not see any examples at all. The pathetic attempt to intimidate people who give of their own time to come in here to give us evidence and facts was shameful.