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

I appreciate this opportunity. I am coming at this on behalf of people who, like me, are pro-life and have always been that way. We respect every decision that has been taken, although we do not have to agree with them. While we can respect and debate what is being proposed in this Bill, we do not have to agree with it.

When people assemble, if they do so in a respectful way that is not threatening, intimidating or nasty, that is to be welcomed. I know people involved in pro-life groups. Obviously, the ones I know are predominantly in County Kerry. I have been working with them for many years and we have campaigned together on this issue. I am sure there are terribly nice people on the other side of the issue as well, but the ones I am speaking about are the nicest people in the world. They are reserved. Many of them are religious and many of them are not, but the one thing that they all believe in passionately – the Minister has nothing but the utmost of time for this type of people – is that, from the moment of conception to the moment of death, the person who is in charge of life is a person called God. That is what they believe in their hearts and souls. It is also what I believe. I do not deny it at all.

I would never want to offend or insult anyone with a different opinion. I would never want to say, “You are wrong and I am right”. I have never done so and never will. That is just the way I am and the way those people are. They feel that, when people voted on this in the referendum and agreed on the parameters of what was being accepted and the changes to be made, what is now being proposed was not included in that discussion. They view this as a further alienation of their beliefs and of what they stand for. I am standing in the Chamber tonight to make that point on behalf of those people. I am confident in saying that I am speaking on behalf of the people involved in pro-life groups in Kerry, who have extreme worries about what is being proposed and the further direction that the Government and the people who support this are taking. They do not want to see their right of assembly and their right to say what they think stopped. Believe me, these are not people who would want to upset someone who was attending a place having made a decision on what to do. It is not that they would want to intimidate anyone personally or anything like that. Like other Deputies, I was terribly proud that time we gathered outside on Merrion Street. The Ceann Comhairle will remember it, as I am sure he was also present to support the farmers from his constituency. There were 20,000 of us. We took off from the back on Merrion Street, marched around Leinster House and finished out front on Kildare Street. I would say there were not four gardaí on duty. There did not have to be. The gates of Leinster House were wide open and 20,000 people came protesting, but the gardaí knew that there would be no problem or hassle. Those 20,000 people came up to make their point, but the gardaí knew there would be no trouble. I would be saying the exact same about the people involved in the pro-life side of this debate. They do not want to insult, offend or hurt anyone, but they want the right to be able to stand up and speak out for what they believe in. Compare that to when you might see half a dozen or 20 people outside the gates of Leinster House and half of Dublin’s gardaí have to be present to try to keep law and order because the people are so cross, nasty and insulting towards the people working in Leinster House, including the catering staff. There are different types of people.

In this world, we have horrible people and we have nice people. There are ways of protesting and making your point. You can do so and make your argument in a nice way. We do not want to see right-thinking people with opinions being stymied, silenced or marginalised, which I suppose is the word to use for it.

I do not want to go on, as the Ceann Comhairle has a lot of things to do. I just wanted to stand up on behalf of the pro-life groups and the people who have the same beliefs as me. The ones I know are predominantly from County Kerry. I am here to speak for them tonight, and I hope I am doing so in a loud and clear fashion and making a point for them, their views and their beliefs.

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