Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Certainly, they would not enter Leinster House under any circumstances. I would not like the message to go back to them that simply because they came down here to discuss the right to life, in one of our Houses of Parliament, Members took the opportunity to in some way misrepresent that visit. Were Members to so do, it would have an impact on future relationships as well.

I am very disappointed with Sinn Féin. I have always have been quite outspoken in this Chamber to make sure its members got their rights both within this House and within the political structures. I also praised Sinn Féin for its work on the Good Friday agreement. I am disappointed with Sinn Féin that it would activate the petition of concern because if one understands the system as it operates in the North, this amounts to a veto. In a way, it is sad this happened. Moreover, it may even be misrepresenting Sinn Féin's own position but the difficulty is that with the party operating on both sides of the Border, it possibly has different approaches to different issues.