Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

What are we to understand from that? When the Minister made those claims, were we to understand that it would be illegal under the new legislation to abort the baby on the ground of disability? Many voters certainly did, and many reluctant "Yes" voters have said that reassurance was a big factor in the way they voted.

It must be made very clear at this point that at no stage and in none of the draft or public versions of the Bill was abortion on the ground of disability ever mentioned. The Minister took a gamble that voters would take his assurance at face value and not search the text of the legislation themselves.

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