Naughten says expulsion an attempt to ‘muzzle’ him

Independent TD Denis Naughten says his expulsion from the Oireachtas committee on health and children is an effort by the Government to “muzzle” him.

The Roscommon politician had pressed for a vote during the report stage of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy in the Dáil.

“I stood up for the rights of women last week and because of that I am being expelled from this committee,” he said.

He had sought to change the bill so that a woman who believed her life was under threat had a legal right to be accompanied by a person of her choosing — her GP, partner, or friend — when making her case for a termination before a panel of three medical consultants.

“I am disappointed that a government with the biggest majority since the foundation of the State feels that it must stamp out any scrutiny of its decisions.”

The former Fine Gael TD lost the party whip two years ago for voting against the party on cuts to emergency services at Roscommon Hospital.

At the time, Mr Naughten said he felt he had to vote against the move because he had promised during his election campaign to keep the hospital’s emergency department open.

The TD, who has been a member of the Oireachtas committee on health and children for the past two years, was told it was not possible to raise the question of his removal when it met yesterday.

Mr Naughten said it was a disgrace that he was not able to speak at the meeting, but Fine Gael chairman Jerry Buttimer said it was the first he had heard about the decision.

Mr Naughten said he did not want to speak after the meeting, as proposed by Mr Buttimer, because, at that stage, he would no longer be a member. He then left the room.

Mr Buttimer said later that neither he nor the clerk had been given notice of the removal of Mr Naughten from the committee.

However, a Fine Gael spokeswoman said it was not the case that Mr Naughten was being muzzled by the Government. “Fine Gael has made a number of changes to its representation on Oireachtas committees and Dan Neville is replacing Mr Naughten on the health committee,” she said.