Higgins defends comments on abortion row
After opposition parties seized on his comments as an attack on the Government’s handling of the controversy, the president insisted he was merely expressing the great sadness felt by Irish people.
President Higgins took many by surprise with the directness of his comments on the Halappanavar affair during a visit to Liverpool when he stressed an investigation into the death must meet the needs of the family as well as the State.
The President also pointedly mentioned the constitution and European court rulings. which was seen as a clear reference to the X case judgment.
Fianna Fáil health spokesman Billy Kelleher told the Dáil the remarks showed the President was telling the Government “it was clearly wrong” regarding the squabbling over what form of investigation should be mounted.
However, Mr Higgins has insisted he was not getting involved in the controversy.
“I said that it was a great tragedy, a young woman, and I expressed my sympathies to her husband and her extended family. I was joining the thousands of Irish people who are on the streets saying the same thing and then, on the specific issue where do we go from here, I said it’s very important that the investigation be such as satisfies the genuine concern of the Irish people and that , in some way — in some small way — helps reducing the grief for Savita’s husband and her family and then that meets the needs of the state’s responsibilities. It was no more and no less than that,” he said when questioned on the matter in England.
During Dáil clashes over the President’s original comments, Social Protection Minister Joan Burton strongly defend his intervention.
Ms Burton described the President’s comments as “considerate, thoughtful, reflective and humane”, as she stood in for Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore during leader’s questions.
Ms Burton was responding to calls from Billy Kelleher to abandon the controversial HSE probe into Ms Halappanavar’s death.
“How can the Government continue with this investigation? The family do not want it and at this stage some of the minister’s colleagues do not want it, while the President has told the Government it is clearly wrong,” he said.
By Claire O’Sullivan
A service sending out unsolicited voice messages about abortion to members of the public that was shut down, is reportedly back up and running.
Up to 40 complaints have been made about the calls. Under new laws, the sender of the messages could be fined up to €5,000 for each message sent.
The message states that Ireland’s abortion laws do not stop doctors from saving women’s lives and that Ireland is one of the safest places in the world to have a baby. It also says “claims that doctors cannot intervene to save mothers whose lives are in danger are untrue”.
The Data Protection Commissioner is asking anyone who received such calls to contact them with details about the time and date they received the call.
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