Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The reason we have to have this protection for free speech in higher education institutions is not so that students, lecturers or guest speakers can obstruct or impede somebody else from accessing abortion services. It is not to enable them to harass anybody. It is to enable them to communicate material to the public, or a section of the public, in a manner that is likely to influence the decision of another person.

Senator Gavan talked about targeting. I accept there may be cases where a person is standing within 50 m of the Rotunda Hospital. That person may have multiple motivations, including hoping to persuade members of the public that it really is a sad thing that abortions are going on in an institution that is supposed to save and protect life. That individual may have it in his or heart that it would be great if somebody passing, who was thinking of having an abortion, but maybe because of a poster that individual is holding, which states there is always somebody there to help and there is a better way, the person passing might change her mind. That is not targeting. It may be about hoping that might be a side effect of what the protestor might be doing, but it is not the only reason he or she is there. The reason that protestor is mainly there is not to target anybody. It is to draw the link in the public mind between the fact that abortions, these violations of human life and human dignity, are going on in a State-funded institution. The Senator accidentally mentioned private healthcare. If only it were just private healthcare. The taxpayer, whether he or she agrees with abortion or not, is bankrolling every single death that takes place in this country through abortion.

I have not spoken to any of these protestors. I am a little like the Minister in that way. I may or may not have spoken to anybody who has concerns in this area. I believe the Minister has heard from people who object to any kind of display. As far as I know, those are the only people the Minister is interested in talking to because he has always-----