Clarification

In an article in the Irish Examiner of December 2, 2003, reference was made to a dispute during the 2002 abortion referendum involving Minister for Europe Dick Roche, when it was alleged he had called Labour Party spokeswoman Liz McManus a “pro-abortionist”.

The article stated: “The official record shows he said to Deputy McManus: ‘You’re pro-abortion’.”

The official record of Dáil Eireann on February 13, 2002, does not contain this quote and the Irish Examiner is happy to clarify the matter. However, reports in a national newspaper from February 14 quote Mr Roche admitting outside the Dáil: “What I said was ‘If you are pro-abortion, why aren’t you honest enough to just come out and say so?’”