Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The amendments, as proposed, seek to address the many concerns I have in regard to the nature of the suicide provision and how it will operate. The ultimate responsibility for whether a pregnant woman has an abortion lies with that woman. How restricted, or otherwise, her ability to have an abortion is constitutes a matter for the State. Our Constitution sets out the parameters within which this Oireachtas must work in passing our laws. The eighth amendment to the Constitution, as inserted by the citizens, guarantees that the State will defend and vindicate the right to life of the unborn, with due regard for the life of the mother. This legislation could be drafted in a more prescriptive way in order to respect this constitutional provision and strike a fairer balance between the legal rights of both the mother and unborn child.

In view of this and the fact that the Taoiseach has stated that only Government amendments or amendments tabled through the Government will be accepted, I wrote to the Minister for Health setting out my concerns and suggestions for the draft legislation. I am very disappointed that there is very little accommodation of the legitimate concerns expressed by me and many others, not least within the Chamber, in the Government amendments, as published. I met the Minister, Deputy Reilly, for an hour last night, and the Taoiseach for nearly an hour and a half. I am now faced with either supporting the Bill or being booted out of the party, my party. I am not going to allow myself to be booted out so I am supporting this legislation.

See this speech in context