Abortion bill ‘won’t lead to surge in demand’

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar has said the abortion bill will not lead to a surge in demand for terminations and that the proposed bill is more pro-life than current arrangements for abortions.

Mr Varadkar, who has a medical degree, spoke after a third Fine Gael TD admitted he would not vote in favour of the legislation because of the inclusion of suicidal threat as a basis for a termination.

There will be a special sitting of the Dáil on Monday for the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill to hear remaining TDs speak on the legislation. Once speakers finish contributions on Tuesday, a vote in the Dáil will be held.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has ordered a three-line whip (compulsory support for the legislation) for the vote.

Mr Varadkar told the Dáil yesterday that he believed there would not be an increase in demand for terminations if the bill passed. He said the measures, which allow for terminations in limited circumstances, were “more pro-life” than the current arrangements for abortions in Ireland.

He appealed to party colleagues not to vote against the bill: “I would not like to see Fine Gael, my party, lose anyone from our ranks over legislation which I do not believe will substantially change what is happening now in Ireland relating to abortion.’’

Fine Gael Galway TD Brian Walsh and party senator Fidelma Healy Eames have said they will not support the bill. European Affairs Minister Lucinda Creighton has also said she has problems with the bill and wants a free vote for TDs. She is expected to speak next week on the legislation, after Ireland’s EU presidency ends.

Independent TD Catherine Murphy said anti-abortion campaigners had parked a van bearing the slogan “the abortion bill won’t make women safer” outside a rape crisis centre yesterday. Campaigners claimed the van was stuck in traffic.

Fine Gael TD Michael Creed yesterday indicated his support for the legislation. The Cork North West TD earlier this year led campaigns for a “sunset clause” in the bill, whereby abortion legislation would be reviewed after a set number of years.

Education Minister Ruairi Quinn told the Dáil he would like to see regulations on abortion in Ireland go further than the proposed bill. More advanced legislation was needed to deal with foetal abnormalities and women with health problems, he said.

Meanwhile, Diarmuid Martin, the archbishop of Dublin, has repeated his call for TDs to be allowed a free vote on the bill, arguing that their right to act on conscience was enshrined in the Constitution.

“People have a right to follow their conscience, have an obligation to follow their conscience. That isn’t something that the Catholic Church invented — that’s very clearly enshrined in the Constitution where the rights of individual conscience would be respected. There is nothing in the Constitution about party whips.”

He also said he did not believe the Government had taken proper account of opposing views and that he hoped they would use the final days before the Dáil vote to do so.

“I hope the politicians are listening to the various points that are being made. From the Government... it’s a little bit like a broken gramophone — you’re hearing the same thing and nothing else.

“Quite a number of issues which were raised in the Oireachtas committee discussions and by individuals haven’t really been adequately responded to and I hope that will happen.”