Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I too welcome the Lithuanian ambassador and commend his country on its stand in allowing Taiwan to establish an embassy. Many of us support Lithuania in its dealings with China. It has set an example for other small countries. As we say around here, "keep her lit".

Last week, I highlighted the Sinn Féin legislation on so-called safe access zones and how it would ludicrously criminalise somebody for expressing comments in private conversation that are critical of abortion simply if they happen to be made within 100 m of where abortions are happening, for example during a conversation in a coffee shop. To promote this draconian, fascistic suppression of free speech, Sinn Féin advanced claims about people in Limerick who had engaged in quiet respectful witness on the subject of abortion. We now know these claims to be untrue. Since then we have learned of a breach of journalistic ethics in the way theIrish Independentinterviewed and reported on a conversation with one of the women involved in quiet prayer near that Limerick hospital. I compliment Gript media on bringing the mistreatment of Ms Antoinette Fitzgibbon to light. The Irish Independent journalist in her report left out the clarity with which Ms Fitzgibbon stated she had no prior knowledge of the days and times when abortions took place in the Limerick hospital, an issue central to the claim made by the Together for Safety group with which the journalist was apparently in contact. The journalist invented remarks attributed to Ms Fitzgibbon suggestive of the idea that the pro-life group had knowledge and intent to time their witness along with abortions.