Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach said he set up the citizens' assembly to hear stories but we have ample stories and he commented on none of the questions I put about his own role in this House over four decades on these issues. We heard the stories of two women who were travelling and I know they tweeted the Taoiseach, although I do not think he tweeted anything back. The Minister for Health offered them tea and sympathy while sending them out of the country and I know the Taoiseach has been tweeted on many issues related to women's reproductive rights, on which he has refused to comment.

We can win a repeal of the eighth amendment without any further restriction, which is what I fear is being cooked up in the form of restrictive legislation being put into the Constitution or an amendment to the eighth amendment. The Taoiseach keeps denying the results of opinion polls but he has set up a 99-person opinion poll in the form of the citizens' assembly. All the opinion polls show that 73% of people want a referendum held and 80% believe health is a key issue.

When people talk about "repeal" and wear T-shirts bearing the word, as they did on Saturday, they mean "revoke" or "make null and void". They do mean "replace" or "amend". I say this lest there be any confusion on the part of the Taoiseach or among his Ministers. That is what people marched for and that is what they will get.

See this speech in context