Sir, - So Mr Conor Lenihan TD thinks the vote on abortion is "a matter of huge personal conscience" (Dβil Report, November 9th). One could only wish that Mr Lenihan were as respectful of the consciences of individual women who are pregnant and need to decide, as a matter of conscience, what to do.
It may well be true that there are those in Ireland who want to wash their hands of abortion by allowing women to travel outside the country to get abortions but keeping Ireland pure. Whether the laws of a country should honour this Pontius Pilate approach to public policy is another matter.
On this side of the ocean, we think of Irish people as direct and frank about issues and about life, as people who put their money where their mouths are. Mr Lenihan is giving us second thoughts. - Yours, etc.,
Frances Kissling, President, Catholics for a Free Choice, Washington DC, USA.