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

Up to now 450 nurses and midwives have signed the petition saying that they are outraged at what is being proposed and the fact that pain relief will not be offered. It is a bit rich for the Minister to say that he, as Minister and a legislator, thinks we should not be interfering with the medical profession. It is a human right for somebody who might suffer pain to be offered pain relief. I asked the Minister to give an intelligent and thoughtful response as to why he believes we are wrong. I still have not heard that from him. I would still dearly like to hear that from him. He should give me a factual reason it is wrong to offer pain relief to an unborn child. I want a straight answer to that.

I saw the horror and shock. I saw how the Minister tried to interfere with the Acting Cathaoirleach. He tried to stop Deputy Mattie McGrath from reading out this letter. Other people may not have noticed it. In case anyone was not looking at the Minister, he badgered the Acting Cathaoirleach to try to stop Deputy Mattie McGrath from reading out this letter. The Minister refused to accept a copy of the letter when it was given to him. This happens to Ministers every day; they are handed letters. The Minister did not want this letter because it contained the commitment and promise he gave to the electorate when he said he was pro-life. He has gone a long way from that now, but he showed an awful lot when he showed how shocked and horrified he was at the idea of Deputy Mattie McGrath reading into the record of the Dáil the letter the Minister sent to thousands of people saying, "Dear pro-life campaign" and signed "Kind regards, Simon". Well Simon has changed an awful lot since then.

Potassium chloride is an extremely corrosive and painful thing to have going into anybody. All we are asking is to have pain relief for that. My God, it does not get any simpler or more humane than that.

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