Seanad debates

Wednesday, 27 November 2002

Overseas Development Aid: Motion.

 

I am pleased Senator Hanafin referred to the Cairo conference, which the Minister of State and I attended. The then Minister, Deputy Howlin, and the Minister of State proposed to the European Union that while abortion could never be considered a family planning method, the dire consequences of unsafe abortion had to be addressed. That is the reason I raised the importance of ensuring adequate supplies of antibiotics. In the course of this debate between 25 and 30 women will have died due to unsafe abortion, which is probably a conservative estimate. We have persevered with this view and are now on the executive of the UNFPA where we have huge moral responsibility. I am sure the Department is weary of replying to all our questions. Deputy Gay Mitchell recently submitted one which, once again, deals with the reaffirmation of the position of the UNFPA.

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