Bill about ‘internal politics of Fine Gael’

The legislation allowing abortion in limited circumstances was about “the internal politics of Fine Gael” and cohesion in the Coalition rather than the protection of women, the Dáil has heard.

Richard Boyd Barrett of the United Left Alliance said that the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill was “a fudge and a sham and the lives of women have become secondary to the needs of Government and prevent a major split in its ranks”.

He was speaking as a number of Fine Gael TDs who had previously expressed strong reservation about the legislation said they would support it.