Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

I have to go to the Dáil to speak about the schools that are falling down in my area but I just want to make a brief comment on this.particularly cruel and insensitive amendment. To put forward the idea that only someone whose life is at risk should have their termination paid for while that of any other person would not is cruel. Bringing this down to brass tacks, this would include Savita. Savita did not have an abortion because her life was not deemed to be at risk, it was "only her health". Under this amendment, she should not have benefited in any way. This and another stream of amendments have angered people over the weekend.

On the general issue of cost, we could decide not to fund abortions and continue to send people abroad and ignore reality. Could I, however, just make a case for how we will save money? I was thinking about this over the weekend. The cost of having an abortion if, for example, one travels to the UK is anything from €1,000. That money will now be in the pockets of working class and ordinary women. That is a really important saving for them and their families because, contrary to what the anti-abortion crowd thinks, the majority of people who have abortions are actually mothers already. They have other people in their families to look after. We are not going to rehearse the referendum - we won it - but I am struck by the cruelty of some of these amendments. People will have money in their pockets that they would not have if we continued to export them. I look on this as one of the biggest victories for ordinary women in a long time in this country and make no apology for that. The idea that any person who needed an abortion on health or other grounds would be deprived is cruel. Recently, a relative of mine who was pregnant with twins with a fatal foetal abnormality had to have an abortion. If Deputy Nolan is suggesting for one minute that that should not be paid for, she would really need to examine her whole humanity.