Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I hope I use my two minutes carefully, correctly and usefully. I am here going on eight years. When I first got elected, we were trying to fight for the referendum on the eighth amendment. I have got a news flash for the Deputies who have just spoken: the train has left the station, the eighth amendment was passed, women do have a choice in this country, and rehashing all the old arguments serves no purpose whatsoever.

I recommend that the Deputies read the Bill we are dealing with because they will note it is not antidemocratic, not shutting down the pro-life movement and not telling the nicest people in the world in Kerry that they do not have a voice or cannot have a thought, nor is it telling the people Deputy Tóibín referred to that they cannot pray. This Bill is to establish safe access zones within 100 m of places that deliver care to women where intimidation is taking place. Believe me, it takes place. If it did not, we would not be dealing with this Bill. Let me tell the Deputies who believe they have the nicest people in the world on the anti-abortion side that about two weeks ago a pro-life, far-right activist called to my home. I was not there but my nephew took abuse. The activist threw leaflets at him and said, "Tell your auntie she has blood on her hands and that we are going to get her." I am dealing with that in my own way, through the facilities we were given here to make contact with the Garda. The people who want to tell women they do not have the right to choose and who want to stand outside clinics, hospitals and doctors' surgeries that deliver the service are not the nicest in the world all of the time. The Deputies may know many nice people and I know many nice people, including ones I do not agree with, but when the nicest people in the world are not outside a clinic and some of the most goddamn awful people are, intimidating women and doctors and prohibiting the latter from signing up to a scheme to deliver on abortion rights for women in this country through intimidating them and their families, including at their homes, a Bill is required to have safe access zones. It is not antidemocratic or shutting down anti-abortion views. Scraping the barrel by making a comparison with Gaza is the lowest thing the Deputies have done tonight. If they care all that much about life, they should please scream out about the children who cannot have incubators in Al-Shifa Hospital tonight.

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