Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will be sorry to see Mr. Bernard Hand leave the House but I expect he will return. He has treated everyone with warmth and great attention. I will miss him.

Further to Senator Mullen's comment about farmers and the IFA salaries, farmers feel very deceived at the unacceptable and undisclosed levels of salaries for senior IFA personnel that have gone on for a long time. I hope that will resolve itself and we will have a new future there because farmers' representation is vital.

On the issue of the abortion debate, I would certainly welcome a debate in this House on the human right to life for mother and baby. I want it to be as broad as that because we are talking about two people here and not just one person. We have heard overnight that the Taoiseach is now willing to give a free vote to parliamentary party members in the event of a referendum on the repeal of the eighth amendment.I would not be so presumptuous as to claim that he learned from the seven members who were expelled for keeping our promises to the electorate. The narrative is more likely to be, "Steady the ship, boys, we have a second term in sight. A free vote is no problem, so let us high five that, lads. Stick with the party and I will be Taoiseach again." The offer of a free vote by the Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, is as meaningless as the letter from Fine Gael to the people of Ireland before the last election which stated that the party would not legislate for abortion. Fine Gael did legislate for abortion.

The reason I am on this side of the House is that I kept my promise to the people, as did Senator Bradford and five Deputies in the Dáil. Somebody is right and somebody is wrong. I am not trying to score points here but I am speaking about the truth and not using a subject that is so deeply human and important to the existence of life as another joy-ride into power. That is what we are talking about here. I ask the Leader to arrange for that debate and to hold it before this Seanad term ends.