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RICHARD BOYD BARRETT has said the bravery of other families in talking about their experiences of fatal foetal abnormality made him talk publicly about his own personal tragedy.
The People Before Profit TD revealed in the Dáil in February that he had to bury his daughter Ella, who had a fatal foetal abnormality, Trisomy 13.
In a speech on Clare Daly’s private members’ bill, Boyd Barrett spoke of how his daughter would have been 13 this year. He said she was a child “we desperately wanted” but who was a victim “of the cruelty of nature”.
In an interview with TheJournal.ie this week, Boyd Barrett said he had only decided to speak about it on the way into Leinster House that morning after discussing it with his ex-partner.
He cited the bravery of other families who have spoken about dealing with children who have fatal foetal abnormalities.
I felt if they had the bravery to speak out about their personal circumstances and histories and tragedies that I should, as a public representative, I had a certain obligation to do it in those circumstances.
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I’d say most of them would fail to pick it out on a map
Are you joking – they don’t give a fup about NI
There are 60 million people living in mainland Britain. Why would the north with 1.5 million be front and centre or anywhere near the top of their priorities?
@John Mulligan: why should SF change for DUPs benefit? DUP backed a hard BREXIT in the hope of breaking the close link with the Republic from the GFA. If anybody has to change its the DUP to reflect the changing political climate in the North
To most people in Britain, Northern Ireland is just a giant pain in the butt. A running sore that needs cortorising and gone from their life’s ASAP.
The Tories don’t give a flying feck about NI.
Funniest thing I’ve read all week. NI isn’t even in the back of the mind of those that are looking to become ty next Tori leader. When will those in NI realise they are a thorn in the side of the mainland.
@Jason Walsh: Mainland? What about the aisle of Wight?
@John Mulligan: Dear John, that comes across as a very entrenched and one sided view. When Michelle O’Neill laid a wreath at the war memorial in Belfast last week to honour the Unionist war dead, she was really poking them in the eye, you say.
and yesterday when she attending a Muslim festival in Belfast and spoke about celebrating all the rainbow colours that make up society in the north as that society is no longer one of Orange and Green, she was really poking unionists in the eye you say?
Wise up there John before you are left behind with the DUP!
@John Mulligan: you’re spot on, with the two established parties of conflict as the main parties, it is harder than ever to agree on thinks. People voted for change for voting for the Aliance party. People are sick of green v orange
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