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

It is good there is someone who will stand up for those people. Most importantly, we are standing up for unborn persons - the babies who would grow up to be wonderful people. One of the most hurtful days I ever had in this Chamber, and one of the lowest times I have ever had, was the day we tried to pass an amendment on pain relief. We were beaten in everything else and we knew we were not succeeding on behalf of the pro-life movement, so we wanted to ensure that a baby who was going to be aborted would be given pain relief. In my lack of wisdom, I thought no one would want to go against that. We were admitting defeat, so we put up our hands and asked that these babies that were going to be aborted to please be given pain relief. It was only when the votes were counted and I saw that only a handful of Deputies had voted for our amendment that it occurred to me that the only reason no one else supported our amendment was that Deputies did not recognise the unborn as babies. They were not people, and that was why other Deputies would not vote to give pain relief. That goes back to what the whole debate was about. I believe they are people, and until the day I die, I will believe that God brings you into the world and God takes you out of this world.

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