Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

It is very difficult at this stage after 11 hours of debate to keep it together but this group of amendments is particularly important, given that they deal with the areas of fatal foetal abnormality, the issue of inevitable miscarriage and critically, in my opinion, the new definition of the unborn which unless it is amended will give rise to serious problems in the future.

Without repeating points made by other Deputies, when we moved our Private Members' Bill over a year ago it was the first time that a number of women - and their partners - came forward and publicly identified themselves as women who had abortions because of fatal foetal abnormalities. People will still remember those four women who went on the "Late Late Show" and really opened the eyes of the nation to the fact that in this day and age people were subjected to what the Minister for Justice and Equality has latterly called the indefensible cruelty of being forced with a choice of carrying to full term a foetus which has a fatal abnormality or being faced with the decision to leave this shore almost under cover of darkness, without support from family and friends. These people have touched all of us. The issue is whether we are going to do anything about their case.

The Minister of State, Deputy Alex White, said on Committee Stage and earlier tonight that the Government is only obliged to deal with the issues related to the convention, the implementing of the A, B and C judgment and the X case, that it is not obligated to go any further. A Government is obligated-----

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