Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to be able to contribute on this debate. It has been 30 years since I first spoke publicly about this issue. In the early 1980s, a campaign was under way to introduce a constitutional ban on abortion. Some wanted the amendment inserted into the Constitution because of their concern that we could otherwise have seen a decision similar to that in the Roe v. Wade case in the US in the early 1970s. I was on the students union of UCD at the time and a motion was placed on the agenda asking that the union affiliate with the anti-amendment campaign. I remember the strength of the debate and the intensity of feelings across the campus and in the lecture theatres. I also remember the discussions in the bars and the churches of our home towns. Everyone got involved in the debate and contributed a viewpoint. It was an intensive campaign and some of the arguments and tactics used were shocking. Like my colleague, Deputy Kevin Humphreys, it educated many of us on the problems facing half of our society.

It is shocking that so little has changed in 30 years. Despite a number of amendments to the Constitution, there is still uncertainty about the rights of a pregnant woman in Ireland. There has been no legislation on the back of any of the amendments and individual tragedies have since occurred.

I have received hundreds of e-mails since the publication of the expert group report. I have probably received more e-mails about this issue from constituents than I have received about any other issue in my time as a public representative, which goes back eight years. Those constituents are concerned that a failure to legislate and to give clear guidance to doctors on terminations has led to an inequality in medicine. Medical professionals are also concerned. I have seen them on television and heard them on radio expressing their concerns that the lack of legal clarity on this issue has led to certain treatment options for sick women being ignored. We need to ensure that we remove this lack of clarity. We must give legal clarity to the medical profession so as to remove the grey areas.

The Labour Party has campaigned on this issue for many a year - decades, in fact. It was in our manifesto last year and the agreed programme for Government is clear on the issue. The latter reads: "We will establish an expert group to address this issue, drawing on appropriate medical and legal expertise with a view to making recommendations to Government on how this matter should be properly addressed." The expert group report has been completed and we have sent our action list to the European Court of Human Rights.

As Deputies have stated, this is a polarising issue. I have not just received communications from one side of the debate. I have also received communications from the other side. Opinions on both sides are undoubtedly well held. As such, it is important that we approach this issue with the sensitivity it deserves. However, it is 20 years since the X case and the Dáil has still not acted despite the fact that the Supreme Court laid out exactly what we should do. We cannot ignore a Supreme Court decision. That is not debatable. The House has been spineless on this issue for far too long.

The expert group report provides us with options and it is clear that we need to act. The report cannot be left to gather dust. We were elected to deal with a range of issues facing the Ireland of today. Some of those issues are economic and some are social. I am clear on the fact that this is an issue that I was elected to address. The Cabinet is discussing what we should do. I wish to add my voice to those of my colleagues - this situation has gone on for far too long and we need legislation now.

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