Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday I raised the serious issue of a young woman in her 20s who is being kept on life support while carrying a child that is at 16 weeks of gestation and unable to sustain life outside the womb. It has emerged that a High Court case was initiated and is due to be heard next week. I am sure that case will cast a light on where we stand in respect of the protection of life during pregnancy legislation. As a mother of two daughters in their early 20s, I feel for this family. They have not only lost a daughter but they are also unable to grieve while they await a decision in the courts. I thank the Leader for giving his commitment on arranging a debate early in the new year on the protection of life during pregnancy legislation and the eighth amendment to the Constitution, and their effectiveness in protecting the lives of Irish women.

On the issue of the European Central Bank and Mario Draghi, I support the Taoiseach's efforts to persuade the bank to reconsider its position on appearing before the banking inquiry. The bank is showing a total absence of solidarity towards the people of Ireland in refusing to come before a national banking inquiry. Its claim that it is only answerable to the European Parliament reflects a narrow view of its mandate towards European people. Even if was unable to add a scintilla of new information over and above what the Governor of the Central Bank could provide, it would be showing solidarity and upholding the right of the Irish people to have the fullest possible disclosure of what happened in respect of the collapse of our economy and the banking crisis.

Staying with the issue of solidarity, I ask that we have a debate in the new year on the threats, for want of a better word, to the European economy and its stability. It came to my attention recently that the old age pension in Greece has been cut to 20% of the rate paid prior to that country's entry to the bailout. There are older men and women near starvation on the streets of Greece. Furthermore, 30,000 Syrian refugees are in the Aegean area of Greece, at a time when the country cannot even afford to feed its own people. We should be cognizant of the issue of solidarity among European people. It would be useful to have a debate on the issues faced by the European Union from an economic and a security perspective.