Fine Gael have proven that talk is cheap

Talk is cheap was Leo Varadkar’s dismissive reaction to Lucinda Creighton and the Reform Alliance’s recent meeting in the RDS.

The promises made by his party to the Irish people, regarding Fine Gael’s opposition to legislating for abortion if returned to power, weren’t worth the election literature on which they were written. If Mr Vardakar believes that words come so freely, perhaps he could justify why his government spent €100m on consultancy fees in setting up Irish Water?

The Fine Gael TDs and senators who opposed the legislation paid a high price for honouring their pre-election pledge. They placed integrity before the party whip. Democracy is fragile. It is based on trust. Dáil Eireann’s deputies must not be coerced and each must be allowed to act freely, according to their principles, according to their conscience. To forbid this is to undermine democracy.