We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
SENATOR RÓNÁN MULLEN has denied accusations that he was nasty or unpleasant to a group of women who came to the Dáil to share their experiences of having abortions outside of Ireland after their babies were diagnosed with fatal foetal abnormalities.
Mullen told TheJournal.ie today that he would be “horrified at any suggestion that I was nasty to anyone at that meeting, especially the women who came to tell their stories”.
A Dáil meeting, attended by about 25 TDs and Senators, was held on Wednesday so the women could address representatives on their experiences of abortion outside the State.
Ruth Bowie, Jenny McDonald and Arnette Lyons appeared on RTÉ’s Late Late Show last night to highlight their difficulties in accessing abortion services in Ireland. The three women had to travel to the UK to undergo medical procedures after they were told their babies were not compatible with life outside the womb.
Bowie told host Ryan Tubridy that she felt the Irish health service had turned its back on her at a time when it should have wrapped its arms around her.
She said the group implored TDs and Senators who attended the meeting to address the situation as a “human rights issue”, describing her experience “barbaric and cruel”.
Commenting on the meeting, the three women said most of the politicians they encountered at Leinster House were “lovely and compassionate” but noted that one was “extremely nasty” and “not very pleasant”.
Mullen’s name trended on Twitter this morning after a blog post appeared to link the comments to him.
TFMR, the group advocating for terminations for medical reasons to be made available in Ireland, said that Mullen accused them of having an “agenda” for raising the issue in Leinster House.
Asked about the allegations, Mullen told TheJournal.ie, “I would say there was no single politician in that room who did not feel sympathy for those women, regardless of their opinion on abortion.”
They were treated with respect and sensitivity at all times.
Asked about his own beliefs, the Senator said that society can always offer a better solution – with less consequences for the unborn, the women and their families – than abortion.
“There should not be a situation in Ireland where women have to feel they have no choice but to travel to the UK for an abortion,” he added.
Commenting on the specific instances of women who are told their babies are not compatible with life outside the womb, Mullen said that in such a tragic situation, he would prefer to see the establishment of perinatal hospices so women can be treated in a “very special way”.
Perinatal hospices offer care and accommodation for women who wish to continue with pregnancies despite a diagnosis of lethal foetal abnormalities.
Such abnormalities or a medical confirmation that a baby is incompatible with life outside the womb is not grounds for an abortion in Ireland. However, women are permitted under current law to travel to access abortion services.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Ah, the Saudis….a great bunch o lads.
Really?! I am shocked…NOT!
@Optimus Prime: I am shocked that it took them 1yr to crack the phone encryption. I thought they bragged about a company which sold decryption software for iPhone.
Maybe US is just choosing right time to out the news.
How do you know someone has an iPhone? They tell you.
@Oretani Wildlife: How do you know someone has no value to contribute to a discussion but craves attention like a little child, irrelevant jokes.
@Oretani Wildlife: what a contribution!
@Oretani Wildlife: that joke is about 9 years old. Well done.
@Oretani Wildlife: Some would argue that the only people who talk about iPhones are the ones that don’t own one!
Touchy touchy, boys. You should call round and brighten up my day.
Okay so it was Saudi nationals that carried out the 911 attack and this one but they are big big customers of the arms exporters and bomb industry, and allies in the fight against whoever is the current bogey man.
When you train Saudi Army pilots in the USA and U.K. what can go wrong ?
Saudi kingdom is an abomination in the 21century, one family controlling trillions of dollars of the country’s wealth for their personal benefit. I’m a small capitalist but for such a regime to exist, and bizarrely supported by the USA, while US pretend to preach democracy, US foreign policy has always displayed a total hypocrisy to its espoused values, if there was any benefit to themselves. America first, yes that sums it up, f.u,,. the rest of the world. this cosy relationship with Saudi, us forces based there, is why Osama bin laden was motivated to start his war with the USA.
Get Carrie and Saul on the case!
@John Quill: Carrie’s watching Russian opera these days…(spoiler alert).
@Declan McArdle: saw it
It’s amazing that the terrorist have a 5 year old iPhone with all that info on it.
So the group behind it claimed it was them but the US gov is arguing that all iPhone users should have their privacy undermined, definitely by US government more than likely by others and also possibly non state actors because they weren’t 100% sure when the terrorist organisation said “that’s our guy!”, about a guy from a nation that produced 9/11 and many other attackers, that they were telling the truth?
I mean, if this stopped an incoming attack or something I could see the logic in having a debate but there’s no way this is worth even considering undermining everyone’s privacy, it’s law enforcement being either pedantic or too lazy (to trace his contact to the group through traditional means) or more than likely not trusting their Saudi counterparts which is a crack in the wall that should not be wall papered over yet again, especially at such a great cost to privacy.
Time to invade Iraq again so.
have your say