Máiría Cahill (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the publication of the scheme of a Bill from Labour Party women yesterday with regard to repealing the eighth amendment. Far from being disturbing, as some Senators have said today, it is actually an attempt to deal with the issue in a very sensitive way. It is a constructive attempt to deal with an issue that has been repeatedly been pushed down the line. It is not good enough that this country forces 12 women a day, some of whom are in very difficult situations, to travel to England. We need to take the nastiness out of this debate. We need to listen to women and deal with the very real and emotive issues in a sensitive way because we do women a great disservice by not doing so. I echo the calls for a debate on the issue.