A LABOUR TD has said that the party “has not voted against the idea of legislating for abortion”.

Ann Phelan TD was speaking following the defeat of Deputy Clare Daly’s abortion bill during Private Members’ Business in the Dáil last night.

Deputy Phelan said that the party “is determined to act on the Expert Group report on abortion and I call on all concerned citizens to help us to deliver the necessary legislation and regulation”.

She said the vote last night “was against a motion to expedite a Bill that did not take into account the recommendations of the Expert group, did not tease out sufficiently the sensitive and complex risk of suicide and, critically, did not command the support of either the Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil deputies who remain to be convinced as to the merit of legislation on X”.

She added: “Our vote was for more time and legal clarity, not against the proposal to legislate at all.”

Last night, the bill was defeated by 101 votes to 27. Thirty eight TDs did not vote on the bill, and told TheJournal.ie this was for a variety of reasons.

Read: Where were the 38 TDs who didn’t vote on the abortion bill?>

Read: Daly abortion bill: How each TD voted>