Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I correct the Minister on the point on having to do so. First, he was not given an instruction to introduce abortion services. He is looping back to that language. It has been pointed out to him, not just by me, that what the Oireachtas was given was the freedom to legislate in this area. Certainly, people knew some opening up of the law on abortion would result from that but in no sense did they know about what is occurring. I really have to call Deputy Harris into question as Minister for Health in that he should know that it is not honourable, truthful or responsible to try to turn a freedom he was given by the people in the referendum into a direct mandate based on the view that he would be in breach of some sort of constitutional responsibility were he not to bring forward this legislation. It is important that we tell the truth to people.