John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The irony is not lost on the public that Deputies who do not toe the line are being threatened with so-called excommunication. No such public threats were made to priests, bishops or anyone else within the Catholic Church convicted of abusing and destroying the lives of children. I call on the Tánaiste to condemn the Catholic Church for its attempts to intervene in the running of the State and to call on the church to desist from harassing Deputies who are already faced with the difficult task of making a decision on the legislation.

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