Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to refer to something I already pointed to at another briefing today. It is the unfair press release from a colleague stating that Deputies were engaged in delaying tactics in the House. Nothing could be further from the truth. With regard to the amount of time in which every Member spoke on Committee Stage, nobody spoke for a minute longer than the person needed. Everybody had points to make. If we had not done that we would rightly be accused of being neglectful in doing our job where we have something to say, if we have a question, if we wish to query an amendment or if we wish to support, amend or object to an amendment. One person came out today and cast an aspersion on every Member of the House by saying that a Member who is not supporting the legislation wholeheartedly as it goes through the House is to be seen as objecting to it.

When the vote took place I gave a commitment at the outset that I would not do anything to obstruct the legislation passing through the House because that is what the people had voted for. However, to say that one should not be allowed to question, propose amendments, speak on amendments or make one's views known is ridiculous. That is an attempt to stifle democracy. It is saying that anybody who does not agree with me should keep their mouth shut and not do their job. It will take more than one person from a political party to stop me doing my job. I am here to represent people and I will do that to the best of my ability in a workmanlike way at all times. Nobody from a political party will stop me or any of my friends from doing that.

The most striking feature of Committee Stage was the sheer avalanche of amendments put forward by supporters of the Bill and advocates of abortion on demand. For months we have been told that we must get on with it, respect the verdict of the people, that the proposals put to the people before the referendum must be respected and that proposed amendments to the Bill be kept to a minimum. What happened instead? Over 150 amendments were put forward by supporters of the Bill. Each of them had the aim of watering down the already weak or token restrictions contained in the Bill. An amendment was proposed in respect of every section, subsection and almost every line of the Bill. Put simply, those who were calling for the verdict of the people to be respected have systematically set about tearing the Bill to shreds and introducing a regime which would be more liberal than the extremely liberal proposals in the Bill.

They are repeating that on Report Stage with over 70 proposed amendments that seek to gut the Bill and make the legislation even more liberal than what was promised by the Government early in the year. That is what is happening. Do I agree with that? They are perfectly entitled to do so. To return to the point I made earlier, if people wish to do that they are entitled to do so. Other Members have a different opinion, as I do, and are worried that the people get what they voted for and not a watered down version of it. I know many people who voted for the legislation but they are not happy now because they see the Minister and others running away with it and trying to make something of it which is not what they said they wanted. During the campaign the Minister made promises and certain commitments which he appears to have thrown out. When he was asked about this at earlier meetings he completely forgot what he had promised the people when they were going to vote. Again, people can say that is politics. If the Minister changed his mind, and he has changed his mind many times so far on this subject-----

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