Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)

It is reasonable to assume that an increasing number of babies would be born to people who are in this country correctly. While Fine Gael fully accepts there is a problem and has no difficulty with section 2, I cannot understand why the Government has created division for no reason other than the desire to hold the referendum on 11 June. I am long enough in the House to know there must be a good reason for this.

I took the Minister at his word before and after his meeting with the masters of the maternity hospitals, and had no reason not to do so. I believed they said to him there was a serious problem and they asked the Minister to do something about it.

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