Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I stand on principle because Fianna Fáil Senators will not speak at all. We spent a long time, took it seriously and deliberated on it upside down and inside out. It is an extremely important issue. I apologise but we have decided not to support the amendment. We will not support it because it will result in the dilution of the presence of a named individual, in this case a Senator. I say well done for getting Senators involved in it in the first place. We ask that someone takes complete and utter responsibility for the attendance and for listening to contributions and presentations and bringing it back to us as a political party. As a nurse working in psychiatry for a long time, I have worked with women and girls who have been refused terminations requested as a result of fatal foetal abnormality. I have watched the fallout and heartbreak of women being sent back from England because one happens to mention Ireland's laws do not permit it. That sort of stuff has gone on. Women and girls are ending up in psychiatric institutions because of it. My heart goes out to them. I wish I could be on that committee; I think most of us wish that. The repealing of the eighth amendment is a fundamental change to our Constitution and its repeal, as well as the enactment of legislation, constitute a fundamental change to the rights of women in this country. Regretfully, Sinn Féin cannot support Senator Higgins's amendment.