Seanad report:The extreme comments and language used by a clergyman in criticising lawmakers over the absence of abortion legislation was not helpful and did not create the calm atmosphere necessary for consideration of this issue, Labhras Ó Murchú (FF) said.
Mr Ó Murchú was reacting to calls from Trinity members Ivana Bacik and David Norris for a debate on the need for legislation to provide for the circumstances in which abortion might be carried out. He said in a recent survey, 75 per cent of respondents were opposed to abortion. One had only to look at letters to newspapers to find the comments had not created a calm mood.
Ms Bacik said this topic was of ongoing concern, particularly to the women of Ireland, but it had been ignored by politicians. Recent governments had failed to legislate for abortion, in particular to legislate for the circumstances in which abortion might be carried out in line with the X case judgment in the Supreme Court, where continuance of a pregnancy posed a real risk to the life of a pregnant woman.
Last week, a senior Church of Ireland bishop criticised politicians, justifiably, for failing to face up to this issue, added Ms Bacik. Mr Norris said he believed they had betrayed people by long-fingering this debate. "I think it is significant that a senior Anglican cleric has really reproached us legislators for our lack of courage," he said.
Jim Walsh (FF) welcomed the DUP and the Catholic Church uniting to oppose the introduction of abortion. "It's time the silent majority in this country spoke and articulated their views so that a small liberal minority don't, in fact, engineer a situation which would be very detrimental to even human rights in this country."
The Madeleine McCann case showed how different justice systems could experience difficulties, acting Seanad leader Dan Boyle said in response to criticism of the Government's decision to opt out of new EU procedures aimed at a common approach to cross border crime. Calling for an explanation on why the opt-out was used, Fine Gael justice spokesman Eugene Regan said it was discourteous to the Oireachtas that the decision was taken without a debate on a potential constitutional issue.