Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

When I heard the interview this morning, my world began to slow down and then stop at the scale of the anguish and tragedy that Emma and her young family are dealing with today and have been dealing with for the past number of days. The feelings Deputies O'Reilly and Calleary have articulated are the same feelings I had this morning. They are the same feelings my colleagues in the Government have. To hear this mother speak of having to sit down and talk to her young children and her family about what does not lie ahead is something that slows all of us down and makes us reflect on the obligations we have as members of the Government and Members of the House.

To be clear, the only agenda the Government has is to establish fully what happened. That is why we moved so quickly to put the inquiry I referred to in place, which is why a number of individuals who were involved in this work are no longer in post. Second, it is to put in place the further help that is needed to provide support to the health and lives of women. Our only agenda is to do the right thing and establish what happened. No wagons are being circled, and no circle is being created. The only obligations this Government is aware of are those it has in respect of the health and lives of women. That will be the guiding approach we will use in continuing to deal with this tragedy and the great uncertainty that exists over the coming days.

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