Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Without warning, the Chief Whip texted the Opposition Whips at 9.57 p.m. to announce that we were to sit until 5 a.m. If he had properly organised the schedule for this Bill we could have been here at 9 a.m. and could have debated it until midnight. We could have done the sensible thing. It seems that the internal difficulties of the Fine Gael Party, in particular, were the ultimate determinant in how the House ordered its business and its votes.

Perhaps the mask slipped yesterday. The genesis might be found during yesterday's Order of the Business, when the Taoiseach said he wanted to get rid of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill last night, come what may. Despite all the commitments given in the programme for Government on Dáil reform, changing the way we do things in this House and having meaningful debates, can anyone on the Government side seriously suggest that going until 5 a.m. represents a sea change or a democratic revolution in how we do our business, as the Government proclaimed two and a half years ago? Throughout yesterday we witnessed intense pressure being exerted on certain Deputies. It was not pretty to see the pressure that Deputies Mulherin and O'Mahony came under. Ministers are entitled to intimidate and bully their own Members but they should not extend that instinct to the rest of the Parliament. They should show respect for this institution.

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