David Norris (Independent)

First, there is a series of misnomers. We talk about social welfare, but I do not see much welfare around this country. Welfare means well-being, but there is a dearth of a sense of well-being among people. The Minister for Social Protection has not protected people. She has fought a battle - I give her that - and she gave an undertaking, but the undertaking has been overtaken by the passage of this Bill. It makes nonsense of it, and that is the reason I will be voting against section 4. I do not care if the vote takes place on Sunday night; I will come back from Laois, where I am talking about the closing of a hospital, specifically to vote on this Bill, as I came back from Tibet in order to vote in the abortion referendum.

While I am at it, I must say it is a disgrace that there was no Order of Business today. We should always have an Order of Business. I wanted the opportunity to put on record the fact that it is outrageous that the Vatican attempted to silence Fr. Brian D'Arcy. It was also outrageous to silence Fr. Seán Fagan. That is another misnomer - Christianity. Where is that gone? He is a man who held out his hand to unfortunate women who had abortions and felt they were going to hell. I want to take this opportunity, illegal though it may be, to utterly condemn that.

Senator Mooney has stolen my thunder, because I was going to read out exactly the same paragraph.