Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

The Taoiseach said the Government had no proposal for such a referendum. That was true because at that stage the case was not made out and was not decided at Cabinet. The day I came before the House for the Fine Gael and others Private Members' motion on the timing of the referendum was the day on which the Cabinet finally made its mind up on that issue as well, not before.

The reason I make all those points is that I would have taken a legislative route if it were open to me. I would have relied on L and O if it would have solved the case. I would have relied on carrier liability and so on if that would have solved the case. I would have been content to take a proportionate view, based on proportionate outcomes to the steps taken, but I am finally driven to the conclusion that the number of births to non-nationals in Dublin hospitals will continue at a high level until such time as a significant proportion, which I estimate to be between 40% and 50%, of the draw factor of Irish citizenship is taken away.

I was criticised also for coming up with the figures of 40% or 50%. I shall tell the House where I got those figures. The honest decent Nigerian woman to whom the Leader referred said on the radio that was the impelling factor in her case. Almost immediately after, one of the most anti-racist and most decent medical practitioner in the country, the Master of the Coombe Hospital, was asked about her case. The RTE interviewer asked that master, "What percentage of births do you think her scenario would fit into?" He said about 40%. That is what he said, not what I said. He is dealing with these patients.

I cannot prove things mathematically. I can only show the overall trends. I cannot make Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform officials sit beside beds in labour wards asking people for their motivation, how long they have been in Ireland and so on. I cannot do all of those things.