MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT Shane Ross says he will vote against the government in Thursday’s vote on fatal foetal abnormalities.
The Dublin South TD said that his fellow Independent Alliance cabinet minister Finian McGrath and junior minister John Halligan will also vote for the bill, which has been tabled by Wexford TD Mick Wallace as an amendment to the Protection of Life in Pregnancy Bill.
Independent Alliance TDs Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran and Sean Canney will oppose the bill.
The amendment would allow abortions in cases of diagnosed fatal foetal abnormalities.
Ross told Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio 1:
It is our intention to vote for the bill. It is the view the Independent Alliance that on issues of conscience and issues of this sort that there should be a free vote. Finian McGrath and John Halligan and I intend to vote for this bill and equally, we’re very, very happy with it because it’s part of the new politics and what we believe in. Boxer Moran and Sean Canney will be voting against it because that’s their sincere belief and we’re very comfortable with that.
The decision by a Cabinet minister to vote for a bill opposed by the Government has raised question marks about collective Cabinet responsibility.
Ross said that collective responsibility was important in “certain areas”, but that a free vote should be allowed on issues, such as this bill, that are not in the Programme for Government.
Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe said the bill was unconstitutional.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Sean O’Rourke, Donohoe said that the most important thing is that we do the “right thing by women” who are facing a terrible trauma.
Donohoe also said the issue is one of conscience and it would be difficult to have a collective Cabinet responsibility on the matter, but he was confident the government could work through the matter and recognise differing points of view.
Also speaking on RTE Radio 1, Michael Noonan said the Independent Alliance TDs were free to decide on their approach.
They are separate, they’re not members of Fine Gael, so it’s up to them to make their decision.[Shane Ross] also made it very clear that it was a discrete issue, and would have no influence on the stability or longevity of the government.
Minister Simon Coveney told RTE News that the Government was voting against the bill after the Attorney General advised it was unconstitutional.
Our view, certainly in Fine Gael and the Government, is to take the advice of the AG [Attorney General].
Minister for Health Simon Harris told the Dáil last week that the bill was not practical according to the Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health.
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