Dáil debates

Thursday, 29 November 2018

Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018: Report Stage (Resumed)

 

6:05 pm

Photo of Danny Healy-RaeDanny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The people voted and we respect their decision. However, they depend on us to legislate and put a sensible Bill together in which we would respect humanity. It is difficult for me to stand here, hour after hour, talking about ending life because that is not what I was brought up to do. From a very young age, I was taught to appreciate life, not to hurt anyone but to do anything that could be done to help anyone. Even with cattle and other animals, I was told that if I wronged them, it would turn back on myself. I refer, for example, to situations where I might neglect animals that could not talk for themselves or defend themselves when they were tied to a stall, needed feed and so on. That is the way I was brought up by my parents and grandparents. We are supposed to legislate and that is what we have tried to do. We have tried to ensure that common sense applies in the context of this Bill.

It can happen that babies who are aborted end up alive. During my first year in the House, 2016, I met a woman downstairs in Buswells, as did other Deputies. She was 39 years of age at the time, so she must be 41 now. She told us of her experience. She had been aborted and she was placed in some kind of a vessel - a bucket. I am sure that is what she told us. Some nurse-----

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