Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I had not intended to speak but having listened to some of the debate, I believe we have no choice. We have a duty to speak out when the same narrative is given over and over again. The last speaker captured it. This is a serious attempt to undermine and go backwards.

While I have the greatest respect for the very hard-working Deputy who tabled this amendment, I cannot agree with it. It is an ill-thought out amendment. It seeks to conquer and divide. It divides rich from poor and, most of all, it misses what this Bill is about, which is to provide care in respect of mothers. I disagree with the statement from my colleague from the west, with whom I agree on many issues, that the most unsafe place to be is in the womb. That is a shocking statement. As a female politician and a mother of two, I find it unacceptable that such a statement would be made.

Having read all the literature and all the cases that ended up in every court in the land and abroad for the past two and a half years, it was quite clear that the life of the woman was in danger, something this country ignored. We continue to ignore it on a daily basis as we allow our women to end up in situations that are unsafe and dangerous to their health and their life. I have no hesitation in saying I will not be supporting this amendment. It is ill-thought out and goes to the kernel of the amendments undermining the will of the people and seeking, once again, to punish women, failing to recognise that women are independent and need to be empowered.

If anything, the changes I want to see is that the amendments seeking to frame the provision in a caring manner are passed. They seek to protect women but, most of all, to empower them. That is how we will have a much healthier society.

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