Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am trying to say that there seems to be a doubt about whether abortion is generally an elective procedure. This amendment is about why taxpayers' money should not be made available in a blanket way for what are mostly elective procedures so it is entirely on point. We have just been through five years of gnashing of teeth about the right to choose and now that it is on the cusp of being introduced, we are effectively being told that it is offensive even to refer to it as a right to choose. This is just more of the Orwellian language that pervades the debate or so-called debate on this issue. It is the latest in a long line of words and arguments that involve words being used to do something other than what the dictionary says.

To return to the text of the Bill, abortions are to be carried entirely at the expense of the taxpayer and the terrible figure of €12 million has been put aside in the recent budget for the introduction of these services. A figure of €450 per abortion has been mentioned. I understand this to be way in excess of the money made available to doctors to accompany women through pregnancy in the normal course, and that raises questions.

This is a very important point. During the Bill's passage to date, the Minister has used the referendum result to bat away any and all criticism of the Bill, using it as a retrospective rubber stamp on its most extreme aspects, but he cannot do so in respect of the proposal to fund abortions from taxpayers' funds because it is a matter of public record that the Government made no such proposal in advance of the referendum. The proposal only emerged after the referendum. Writing in The Irish Times, Sarah Bardon, who I understand now works as an adviser to the Minister-----