Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

No, it was just for one constituency. The main topic that came up among party members was people not being able to access grants for third level education. In some instances, people identified students who have had to leave college as a consequence. In one case, a mother who has been deserted by a husband is in receipt of ¤214 per week and is struggling to meet the cost of sending a child to college and had to take the child out of college as a result of what happened. As a result of the appalling outcome of SUSI, which the Minister championed, many people called Susie are applying by deed poll to have their names changed because they are so embarrassed by it.

Senator Heffernan set the proper tone in his contribution. I agreed with some aspects of what he said but not others. In this instance, we need to await the outcome of the inquest. There was an interesting programme on RTE Radio One this morning, where a medical expert raised certain questions that resonated with me. He said that certain questions need to be answered, including whether protocols were in place in the hospital, whether they were followed, and whether they were adequate. Will the Leader arrange for the Minister to come to the Chamber? I have concerns that a number of people may try to exploit the unfortunate tragic circumstances in Galway. Members have mentioned the X case. The man who championed abortion legislation in Britain based on mental health, Mr. David Steele, said he never envisaged a situation where up to 190,000 babies are aborted in Britain annually, many as a social convenience. We need to be very careful in the manner in which we approach this topic.