Legislation carries a high political cost

Fine Gael is learning the political price of tackling the abortion issue, writes Political Correspondent Mary Regan.

GIVEN that successful governments did their best to stay away from the issue for the best part of 21 years, it’s hardly surprising that legislating for the 1992 X case ruling would carry a high political cost.

Fine Gael — the party that swept into power believing its task was to fix the economy and not to tackle the thorny abortion issue — has learnt what that price is, with the loss of four of its TDs last night.