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WICKLOW/CARLOW DEPUTY Billy Timmins is the latest member of Fine Gael’s parliamentary party to publicly reveal his opposition to proposed abortion laws.
In a statement issued this afternoon, the TD expressed regret that he cannot support the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013 because of the inclusion of suicide ideation as grounds to obtain a legal termination in Ireland.
“If a woman is in such a difficult place that she is contemplating suicide as a result of her pregnancy this Bill will legalise the direct and intentional killing of the unborn child,” he said.
According to Timmins, ‘almost 100 per cent’ of medical practitioners who appeared at the Oireachtas Health Committee hearings gave evidence that abortion is not a treatment for suicide.
He said that if suicide ideation was removed from the Bill, he would have “no difficulty” in supporting it.
“I hope the Minister will remove them,” he added, noting that Fine Gael had promised not to legislate for the X Case during its last election campaign.
“Since 1992, six minors who were in State care have travelled abroad for abortions, on the grounds of the threat of suicide, if this legislation is about saving women’s lives why was the treatment not provided in Ireland?” Timmins asked.
It is thought that at least 14 TDs will vote against the bill, including two other Fine Gael deputies – Brian Walsh and Peter Mathews. Colm Keaveney has also confirmed his will oppose the legislation along with one Sinn Féin TD, Peadar Tóibín.
The first vote on the proposed legislation is due to take place early next week.
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People are causing dangerous conditions, not ice. Conditions are conditions.
Don’t make unnecessary journeys. Please take care on treacherous roads.
No. Icy conditions ‘slow things down’. Things like not indicating properly or not watching your mirrors, or unrestrained children, or worn tyres, now that’s what creates dangerous driving conditions.
Dublin City roads icy?
Main roads seem to be ok but there is some ice on smaller roads and in estates.
So much for commuting to Dublin for all the jobs that have created in Dublin in recession years ” gatzos vans , ice,snow, floods, tailbacks, parking, clamping,blood pressure,stress,long days ,poor quality of family live,tiredness, etc,
It would do you well to spend some time living outside Dublin and then you’d realise how easy you really have it. There were no buses running from my hometown in Cork this morning…think of all the people who rely purely on that bus (because we they don’t have the transport options you have) to get to work. And that happened every icy day in the past few years when I was living there.
We’re not all commuters. People drive in the morning for all sorts of reasons, not just to work.
Footpaths and roads (Cork) very bad walking the dog this morning, usual 25 minute route took us 40 minutes!
Thankfully I work from home on Fridays so that’s all I had to deal with.
Maryborough Woods is like an ice rink. Crash on Carr’s hill earlier due to ice. Traffic very slow on N28 from Douglas to Shanbally
Thanks, I’ll add that in to the liveblog now.
A lot of accidents around Cork this morning.
have your say