Call for end to ‘insulting’ language in abortion debate
Joan Burton, the social protection minister, led the condemnation after Taoiseach Enda Kenny revealed opponents of legislating for the X-case ruling had branded him “worse than Herod”.
Ms Burton said such castigation using biblical references was damaging the national debate on the issue.
“Some of the people who are anti-abortion are almost, I don’t know, pitching women in terms of being, somehow or other, intensely interested in having an abortion, when, in fact, the contrary is the truth, most women want to have a safe delivery of a child,” she told RTÉ.
Europe Minister Lucinda Creighton, who is seen as one of the leading anti-abortion voices in Fine Gael, said both sides in the campaign needed to temper their language.
“I think any insults that are offered by any side of the campaign are unhelpful. We in government are trying to conduct a reasonable, rational and tolerable debate, even though there are differences of opinion within the political parties. It’s not helpful to throw around names and to engage in name calling on any occasion, least of all [in] a sensitive debate of this sort
Ms Creighton is drafting an abortion bill which would exclude suicide as grounds for carrying out the procedure, but denied their was a rift between her and the taoiseach on the issue.
“I don’t think we’re at odds, it’s just important to take time to consider the option in wording.”
Ms Creighton said she had “grave reservations” about accepting the risk of suicide as a grounds for abortion, stating: “I think it’s very, very difficult to identify a system that would allow for that while also ensuring we don’t open the floodgates.”
She refused to say if she would obey the party whip and vote for X-case legislation due before the Dáil within months.
“I really want to see what the wording will be and I’m not going to commit myself to any course of action until I see the wording,” she said.
Ms Burton insisted the Government’s paramount concern was ensuring women’s safety.
She said she did not know “anybody, anywhere” who is in favour of abortion “on demand”.
Labour TD Ciara Conway said Ms Creighton’s stance on X-case legislation was “muddying the waters”.
“It is disappointing to hear comments from a minister of state seeking to question the legitimacy of including the risk of suicide in dealing with this sensitive issue. This muddying of the waters from a minister of state is unhelpful and disingenuous,” she said.
