Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Hildegarde Naughten who has allowed me to speak for two minutes.

When the Taoiseach asked me on 29 March to be campaign co-ordinator for the Fine Gael "Yes" campaign, it was on Holy Thursday and the first thing I did was to go to the Taizé prayers in Mount Merrion parish. The irony is not lost on me. It was something that was going to come to the fore during the campaign. I had anticipated it when he asked me. It was not an easy campaign. It would be an overstatement if we said it was something that was not complex. As Ms Justice Mary Laffoy said, it has been one of the most contentious and complex topics in Irish society in recent years. My part was very small, but it took place over eight weeks. I tried to ensure the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party and, of course, members throughout Ireland came together to have a dignified and respectful debate. I think we achieved this in the main, against, I have to say, quite a lot of vitriol and acerbic barbs coming from the "No" side, which was difficult. I thank them for it. In particular, I thank people who whelped with our campaign - Dr. Peter Boylan, Ms. Nuala Jackson and Professor Fiona De Londras in particular, as well as the larger committee team within the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party.

I have to say that on Saturday I did not feel the exuberance that I think some people felt. It is important to say there are many compassionate people on the "No" side also and that not everyone who voted "Yes" is pro-abortion, but they are pro-choice. There is a really big distinction. For me, it was bittersweet; as Deputy Jan O'Sullivan said, it was more a sense of relief than anything else. It is a really pivotal, extremely significant moment in the history of the country and I say that as a woman and a mother. I do not have any daughter. I have two sons, but I hope my granddaughters will benefit from this, as well as their friends in the future. There is a line from Maya Angelou that I would like to use in finishing up which resonated for me during the campaign: "You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated". To me, that is something that sums up the campaign.

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