Creighton praises Mulherin’s courage about abortion Bill

Creighton praises Mulherin’s courage about Abortion Bill


Áine Ryan

GOVERNMENT Deputy Michelle Mulherin may have had serious reservations about key aspects of the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill but in the end, like her constituency colleague, John O’Mahony, she toed the party line. Despite this, sacked Junior Minister Lucinda Creighton has praised the Ballina solicitor’s courage.
Arguing in a Mail on Sunday column that fundamental planks of democracy were ignored as TDs were ‘coerced and cajoled’ to vote for the legislation Ms Creighton writes: “My colleague Michelle Mulherin summed this up. She has unfairly been subjected to much criticism in recent days. I would defend her stridently because she had the courage to tell the truth. I understand completely the dilemma she found herself in. I was there too. I took a different decision.”
Referring to her DΡil speech in which Ms Mulherin said she was voting for the legislation to avoid being ‘booted out’ of the party, Ms Creighton said she was filled with ‘a deep sense of foreboding’ about such pressure being put on political representatives.
Coincidentally, Ms Mulherin has expressed her ‘admiration’ for Ms Creighton and the four other Fine Gael deputies who voted against the legislation. She has also highlighted the many hours and time she had spent putting her case – a number of amendments –  to the Taoiseach, Minister Reilly, the Attorney-General, the Health Committee and during DΡil debates on the issue.   
“However, by the end of the debate and legislative proceedings for the most part my proposals were not accommodated and the powers-that-be were not persuaded and while disappointed I accept this,” Ms Mulherin said yesterday.
She was thus forced to make ‘the difficult decision’ of whether ‘to vote for the legislation or no longer continue within Fine Gael’.
Noting that she had to ‘consider on balance what was the best thing to do’, she said: “I am quite satisfied that in order to best represent the people of Mayo on the national stage in the many pressing issues facing us and for the development of our potential for economic growth that I am best placed to be more effective within the party.”
Ms Mulherin observed that the ‘issue of abortion and this legislation is very difficult not just for myself but for every TD and Senator in Leinster House and not least of all the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health who had the challenge of drafting this legislation to protect the life of a pregnant woman when it is at risk and in doing so were required to balance the legal rights of that woman with her unborn child in accordance with the Constitution’.
She argued that the drafting of this complex legislation was compounded by the fact that ‘there was no consensus from neither legal nor medical experts on the best approach’ but that the contributions of many TDs had now tightened the legislation.

Consultation
MEANWHILE, Deputy John O’Mahony, who also had issues with the legislation,  said he was ultimately satisfied, after much consultation, that the Bill ‘seeks to clarify and regulate existing constitutional rights and not to create any new right’.  
“It is well known that an aspect of this proposed legislation about which I have serious concerns is the provision relating to the risk to the life of a pregnant woman arising from suicide. Having examined this issue in great detail and having obtained clarification from the Attorney General, I understand that this provision only arises because the connected constitutional right already exists, as has been confirmed by the Supreme Court,” Mr O’Mahony said.
He welcomed the fact that the Bill provides clarity for doctors about when to intervene when there is a substantial risk to a woman’s life during pregnancy.