Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I have been canvassing for the past four or five weeks and one learns much about what people are saying and thinking on both sides in the course of canvassing. Whatever side people are on, they are overwhelmingly shocked by how vile the imagery is. They are really upset by and very angry about it. I take some consolation from the fact that many who were considering voting "No" will now vote "Yes" because they are appalled by this stuff. Nonetheless, the vile, offensive and traumatising nature of some of the imagery is below any standard of decency, both for women who have been through abortions and people in general, in particular, children who are sensitive about such matters. Children are asking their parents, "What is that?" It is disgusting and some measures must be taken to deal with it.

A point I do not know whether the Taoiseach is prohibited from making given his original answer but which I want to make to those campaigning for a "Yes" vote that arises from my experience of canvassing was borne out in the findings of a poll that came out at the weekend. The findings of the IPSOS poll were much publicised. They indicated that 47% of people would vote "Yes" but strangely what was less publicised was the answer to another question about the percentage of people who believed the law should be changed to allow women to choose to have an abortion, if they wished to do so. The Taoiseach may be aware the figure was 62%, which is strange. A tota of 47% said they would vote "Yes", while 62% believed women should have the right to choose. That suggests we need to up our game in explaining what is at stake because when one calls to a door, people ask, "Yes to what? Repeal what?" People are not clued in to political debates. When one explains the position, many say that personally they are not sure about abortion but that they think people should be allowed make their own decisions. We need to get that simple, factual explanation of what those campaigning for a "Yes" vote are campaigning for to many of the "don't knows" who are a little confused.

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