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JUNIOR FINANCE MINISTER Brian Hayes has said there should be a free vote on any legislation for the X Case as the issue of abortion looks to set to dominate political discussion this week.
Speaking to RTÉ’s The Week in Politics last night Hayes said that it had been his view as far back as when he was in opposition that there should be a free vote and that TDs should not be subject to the party whip given there was “a variety of views across all political parties”.
He told the programme: “I said this when I was in opposition and it is still my view. I’ve always believed that we’ve made dreadful mistakes on this issue by making it into some kind of party political issue.”
His comments came ahead of the publication of the expert group on abortion’s much-anticipated report this week after it is discussed at Cabinet on Tuesday.
TDs will also debate United Left Alliance TD Clare Daly’s reintroduced Private Members’ Bill which would legislate for the X Case, the bill was defeated by the government earlier this year in anticipation of it introducing its own measures.
Various media organisations have reported on the expert group’s report in the last few days with indications that the report calls for primary legislation instead of guidelines or regulations to deal with the X Case.
The Supreme Court X Case provided for abortion for women when their lives are in danger, including from the risk of suicide.
In 2010, European Court of Human Rights said there is a gap in the theory and practical implementation of the right to a lawful abortionbecause of the lack of corresponding legislation.
Sinn Féin’s Gerry Adams said that the government needed to explain why the report was not made available to members of the Oireachtas before it was leaked to the media and said there needed to be a timetable for legislation.
“The Government needs to set out a timetable for progressing long overdue legislation on this issue through the Houses of the Oireachtas,” he said in a statement last night.
Sinn Féin earlier said the leaking of the report was “disgraceful”.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said that the report had been ”leaked all over the place” saying it was “very poor form” on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
When asked about the leaking of the report to RTÉ’s Prime Time last week, the Department of Health did not directly respond to a query about the report’s leaking.
It said in a statement: “The Minister for Health still intends to bring the Report to Government on Tuesday, 27th November seeking Cabinet approval for its publication.”
If there is to be a silver lining in all this, I hope that those people that used to breathe down the back of your neck in queues, finally get the awareness to give us some personal space.
@Mark Malone: I’m afraid they are still around and continue to do so regardless of restrictions
@Mark Malone: Been thinking something like this. Manners will come back again. Just got to work on the spitting and urinating everywhere now.
There should be greater nuance in the question phrasing e.g. it is not complusory to wear a mask in public spaces, it should be asked if people either wear masks in enclosed spaces (shops/buses etc.) or in crowded public places. Would have been useful also to see fear added to the emotional well-being tracking – probably a prevailing emotion at the start that would hope has declined significantly.
@Spbeak: To suggest that 90% of people wear masks in all public places is just incorrect
@Spbeak: does worry and anxiety not kind of cover fear?
@Jim Smith: well the survey relies on people reporting their own behaviour the true figure probably a bit lower alright
@Jim Smith:
Depends I suppose, on what you call a public space for the purpose of mask wearing.
Walking down a street in the open air is in public, going for a walk on the beach or in a town park with your children is in public, but where social distancing is not an issue, then facemasks are a matter of choice.
From what I observed during December, facemasks were being worn by nearly everyone, certainly greater than 90%, in the places where social distancing was a difficulty, retail parks, shopping centres and such like. If fact most people seemed to be putting on their facemasks before they got out of their cars and were being extremely diligent and responsible about it.
Someone else has suggested that the questions asked in this article are a bit vague, I think they are correct.
@NotMyIreland: not really. Fear is a separate, though related, emotion.
The numbers shown and the ups and down in the infection numbers match. Says everything.
have your say