Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would like to think that anyone who wants to protect unborn children cares about life at all stages, including vulnerable life. I would like to think that my career demonstrates a consistent vision of seeking to protect human dignity and seeking a society that goes the extra mile in terms of dispersal of public funds and so on. This means reaching out and supporting people with disability in particular. If Deputy Smith's comments were in any way directed at me, I would like to show her my record sometime.

I wish to comment on the business of the recommendation on a child with a significant abnormality. We spoke a good deal about children with Down's syndrome. Of course, they are only one category of children with disability or abnormality, but they are children who are particularly well-known and loved in Ireland. We did not hear evidence on it, but eventually we got evidence about how in Britain over 90% of children who are scanned and found to have Down's syndrome are aborted. I believe the figure is the same in Netherlands. The corresponding figure is up to 97% or 98% in Denmark, with only four children being born. From my perspective, any child with a foetal abnormality deserves extra love, care and protection from society. The test of a civilised society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. It is a really tragic development if there is a whole category of human beings who, because they are more vulnerable than the rest of us, are singled out to ensure they have fewer rights at any stage of pregnancy.

That is the journey that has been taken in the western world. We heard Dr. Thompson invite us to disregard the fact that in certain cases children with something as minor as a cleft palate might be aborted up to birth, which is the law in Britain. It was chilling testimony. However, it does not matter if it is severe or not so severe because what the child needs is protection and what the family needs is support. I, therefore, oppose this sincerely.