David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I join Senator Ivana Bacik in welcoming the splendid debate held last night. It is a significant development that the two Bills are now on the Order Paper and can be fully debated in the House, with the co-operation of the Leader. It is regrettable, however, that this significant development did not make the news. All we had were a few rather pallid interviews and a discussion on "The Late Debate". There was no participation by any Senator in that discussion and the participants did not seem to know what they were talking about. One person from the other House stated the Bill was defective because it would require constitutional change. That is completely wrong. The Bill was deliberately framed - it has the fingerprints of Joe O'Toole all over it - such that its provisions would not require any constitutional change. As we all know, it was the legislation that followed the re-establishment of the Upper House in 1937 which weakened this forum and corrupted it politically at the behest of the political parties.

As a result of all this misinformation and the deviousness of the Government in this matter and in light of the excellent leading article in The Irish Times which I commend to colleagues, I am issuing a challenge to the Taoiseach. I will be happy, as father of the House, to debate the matter with him in any public forum of his choosing, whether it be the Mansion House, in Government Buildings, in the AV room or elsewhere, and in the full glare of the media. I will answer any question put to me and challenge him to prove his case to the people. As it stands, he is abusing his position as Taoiseach to launch one-sided campaigns full of misinformation. I challenge him to meet me in debate. Let us have it out and let the truth be told. I will be happy to expose what I consider to be his mendacious position.
The Irish Times today also carries an excellent letter from the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. Diarmuid Martin, in which he raises a point that I have made repeatedly in this House on a particular difficulty in the proposed legislation on abortion. As a very pro-choice person, I find it obscene that a child who would be, to use that horrible word, "viable" outside the womb, could be safely delivered and easily live, could, under these provisions, possibly be deliberately killed. That is what is being suggested, because there is no time limit for terminations. The Archbishop is correct in this. This awful prospect is a consequence of the people who call themselves pro-life shoving an amendment that was disastrous, sectarian and wrong-headed into the Constitution. There must be clarification on this issue.

There was understandable anger on the part of a very conservative group when excrement was left outside the door of its office on Capel Street some time ago. Will those same people condemn the attacks on Deputy Regina Doherty who was extremely courageous when she spoke on television during the week about the threats she had received as a consequence of her intention to vote in favour of the Government legislation? She has been warned that her home will be burned down with her family in it, which is absolutely unconscionable. I want to hear some concern expressed for the Deputy by those people who have loudly condemned the actions of virulent pro-choice activists.

I am very disappointed at the lack of progress made in the establishment of the national children's hospital. I supported the holding of a proper inquiry on a point of principle and accepted the decision to locate the new facility at St. James's Hospital rather than the Mater Hospital. However, absolutely nothing has happened since.

Ms Norah Casey who was on the board said on Newstalk that there was no board and no design team and that there had bee no site clearance. The date has been put back again, this time until 2019. It was supposed to be done to celebrate 2016. This is a disaster. Perhaps the Mater hospital site, on which tens of millions of euro have been spent, should be considered again.

I agree with what has been said about IDAHO Day, which is very important. Tomorrow is also the anniversary of the arrest, detention and mistreatment of the leaders of the Baha'i movement in Iran. We should also remember that event.