FG junior minister claims party is divided on abortion issue

Tensions within Fine Gael over looming abortion legislation have once again emerged publicly.

European Affairs Minister Lucinda Creighton insisted the party was divided on the issue of legislating for the X case judgment.

Putting herself on a likely collision course with Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Ms Creighton said she was not convinced legislation was necessary.

The outspoken junior minister also warned that any proposed law change would need to be narrower in scope than the 20-year-old X case ruling, as issues such as time limits for terminations were not covered by it.

“We have to be clear that, in fact, the Supreme Court decision at the moment is extremely open and extremely vague. It doesn’t provide any guidance on those issues. What the Oireachtas would have to introduce is something much, much narrower, and that would at some point be tested in the Supreme Court and that is inevitable,” Ms Creighton told RTÉ.

Ms Creighton said she believed that in some cases a termination would be necessary to save the mother’s life.

“Everybody has the right to have concerns, and to consider it carefully and to ensure that we put in place a system that reflects the majority of the Irish people, that reflects in the intention of our Constitution and something we can all live with,” she said.

Ms Creighton added that she disagreed with Justice Minister Alan Shatter’s view that women were less equal citizens because they could not access a termination when they felt they required one.

Mr Kenny ducked out of commenting on Ms Creighton’s stance when questioned on it, merely restating the position that the Government would announce its decision on how to proceed on the X case ruling within the next three weeks.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóibín said there will be “some level of disciplinary action” after he failed to show up for a Dáil vote on abortion this week.

Party chiefs had expected all Sinn Féin TDs to vote in favour of an opposition bid to legislate for the X case.

Mr Tóibín said: “As a society we should do everything we can regarding other solutions for unwanted pregnancies rather than the ending of the life of the unborn.”