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Pro-choice campaigners outside Leinster House as news came that the bill had been passed by the Dáil. Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

Catch-up: The things you should know about final Dáil abortion vote

A ministerial rebellion and a new minister within hours; anger at criminalisation of and lack of advocacy for women; the Dáil bar can stay open until 5am.

LAST EVENING AND the early hours of this morning saw the Dáil sift through 154 amendments tabled on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013.

Eleven had been dealt with in the marathon session which straddled Wednesday evening and Thursday morning – but these contained some of the most contentious amendments relating to the suicide clause.

As we know, the Bill finally passed through the Dáil early this morning by 127 votes to 31.

These are some of the things you might like to know, if you didn’t catch all of the debate last night:

Lucinda Creighton is no longer a junior minister

The Minister for European Affairs had indicated that she had issues with the suicide clause of the Bill – and it was always likely that she would vote against it.

She did so, even before the final vote, by taking a stance against the Government on amendment 56, midway through the debate. The lone red dot on the frontbench on the bottom left of this voting chart is Creighton’s vote:

This meant that she immediately lost the Fine Gael parliamentary whip – and it would be only a matter of time before she lost her ministerial post. (She remains a TD.)

She also voted against the Bill in its entirety, in the final vote of the night.

Paschal Donohue is now a junior minister

He had been favourite to take over from Creighton should she vote against the Bill – and a statement from Taoiseach Enda Kenny at 1.55am confirmed his appointment. A change of personnel in a matter of five hours.

Here’s the Taoiseach extolling Donohue’s virtues – and also expressing regret at losing Creighton.

Rape and incest are not included in the new Bill

Some amendments proposing that they should be were rejected last night. The argument is that they never could be because it would require another referendum, with the need for a constitutional change.

This is also the argument against including terminations for medical reasons and “inevitable miscarriages”, amendments for which were tabled during Wednesday/Thursday morning’s debate and were rejected.

Joan Collins of People Before Profit Alliance told the Dáil last night thatrape and sexual abuse sufferers feel like second- or third-class citizens in Ireland when they see the low sentences handed down for sex crimes. She said:

In many cases, judges are offering compensation instead of putting these people in jail.

Read more about that debate here.

Defining a “cut-off point” for terminations is not a black and white issue

This was the first amendment of Lucinda Creighton’s to be tabled in the night – and was similar in theme to one from Róisín Shortall, for example: that many TDs wanted a gestational limit for the carrying out of abortion. Creighton said:

It’s the minimum we should be trying to offer.

Health Minister James Reilly had sent a letter to Creighton, she said, where he said the Bill still prohibited “the killing of a viable foetus” but Creighton wanted clarity on what viability meant. In the end, she dropped that particular amendment, but it did give rise to a challenging exchange between Reilly and Creighton. He said: “You cannot set a limit on a right to life (of the woman)”, adding:

We can’t tell a woman, ‘We can save your life before 24 weeks (gestation) but we can’t save it after 24 weeks.

To which Creighton replied:

Why would I want to restrict the right of life to an Irish woman? I am a woman. I am Irish.

A woman may not be able to take an advocate with her into review panel

There was some anger in the debate last night over this issue. Health Minister James Reilly rejected an amendment from Denis Naughten who wanted the term “and/” inserted into the Bill to make it official that a woman facing a three-consultant review panel to prove she was suicidal, could bring someone in with her.

Minister Reilly told Naughten that the legislation didn’t rule that possibility out and so there was no need for the amendment. Naughten, however, has since posted a long update on his Facebook page claiming that this isn’t the case and that Reilly’s answer showed that the whole Dáil debate was simply “window dressing” and not intended to encourage “real debate on the new law”.

You can read his Facebook post here.

Opposition TDs tabled 155 of the 165 amendments

To be expected, considering this was the Government’s legislation, but Róisín Shortall claimed that the Government cared “not one jot” to liaise and concede on any point.

The Bill, she claimed, was “hammered out somewhere else and there would be no changes”. This was clear from the rejection of an amendment such as that proposed by Naughten (above), she added.

Women face a jail term of up to 14 years if criminalised for abortion

Another hotly-fought amendment debate of the evening was the criminalisation of women who are deemed to have had an unlawful abortion or of people deemed to have assisted a woman to have one. Minister Reilly said that in fact this new legislation brought the sentence in line with the standard across the EU and down from a possible penal servitude life sentence currently attached to it.

It is UP to 14 years, he stressed, and said also that it would be up to the DPP to use their discretion to refer a case or not, and for the “discretion and wisdom of the courts” to sentence as appropriate to a situation.

Here were some of the responses to the rejection of an amendment seeking to decriminalise women in such instances:

Clare Daly: She said women are “exposing themselves to not being protected in terms of aftercare” because hospitals won’t ask them questions about pills they’ve taken etc due to the uncertainty about legality.

“You are maintaining a chilling effect that is not indicative of a modern society”.

Colm Keaveney: The idea of a 14-year sentence hanging over a woman in a distressed of vulnerable situation is appalling.”

Mick Wallace: Said it “acts as a form of discrimination” and further marginalises women who are already disadvantaged like those with disabilities, mental illnesses, those experiencing violence and migrant women.

Richard Boyd Barrett: “It is shameful that you seek to criminalise women for something that is their right.”

Billy Kelleher: “I don’t think that the sanction of 14 years will deter a 14-year-old girl who is pregnant from procuring tablets over the internet. What it could deter is her from accessing medical care if there are complications.”

Lucinda Creighton: Said it was an “extremely harsh sentence for somebody who we would imagine being in a very difficult and delicate situation” and that she had proposed to “simply reduce the sentence from a draconian 14 years” to five years.

She said it was an “extremely harsh sentence for somebody who we would imagine being in a very difficult and delicate situation”. And that she had proposed to “simply reduce the sentence from a draconian 14 years” to five years.

That if two nights is a long time in politics, six months must be a lifetime

We know that several TDs lost their party whip for voting against this legislation.

Sinn Féin though took an unusual step of releasing a press statement early this morning to announce that it had found a punishment for its one renegade TD who voted against the party advice to vote ‘Tá’.

Peadar Tóibín has been suspended, as of this morning, for six months from the Sinn Féin party.

PS: The Dáil bar can stay open until 5am

Not one from this evening/morning’s procedures but a revelation of how TDs kept their mojo going until 5am on Thursday.

Do they need a special licence to stay open until 5am in the Leinster House hostelries? I guess we’ll have to find out…

For a recap on what happened on the first marathon evening of debate, read Aoife Barry’s account from yesterday here.

Abortion legislation passes final Dáil vote>
These are the 31 TDs who voted against the abortion bill>
TDs vote against removal of criminalisation from abortion bill>
Creighton: I believe I made the right decision>
Paschal Donohue confirmed as Lucinda Creighton replacement>

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    Mute John Smith
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    May 18th 2018, 2:35 PM

    At least 2000 of the workers will be imported by Google.

    295
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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    May 18th 2018, 2:39 PM

    @John Smith: Great….

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    May 18th 2018, 2:39 PM

    @John Smith: Great….

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    May 18th 2018, 2:40 PM

    @John Smith: Great….2000 brand new tax payers contributing to the economy so we can fund the layabouts who have never worked a day in their lives.

    474
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    Mute John Smith
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    May 18th 2018, 2:48 PM

    @John Smith:

    Great…..

    Professionals contributing to our growing economy.

    There are many John Smiths, not all of us are the same.

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    Mute Damon16
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    May 18th 2018, 3:08 PM

    @John Smith: These ‘imported workers’ will pay a lot in income tax (most at the higher rate), will use little in the way of social services and spend money in the local economy (food, bars, restaurants) – what’s to whinge about. Also, the reason Google recruits from abroad is because they can’t find the skills here.

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    Mute John Smith
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    May 18th 2018, 3:19 PM

    @Sean O’Brien:

    I welcome people from other places working in our country. It breathes fresh life into a society. It means we do not stagnate. That said, we need much better management of housing by government, it will lead to failure if it is not urgently addressed, it’s a huge problem.

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    Mute Dietrich Död
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    May 18th 2018, 3:56 PM

    @John Smith: I’ve no issue with Google bringing in workers from abroad, but where the hell are they going to live?

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    Mute John Smith
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    May 18th 2018, 3:56 PM

    @Sean O’Brien:

    What has Google being there got to do with anything? Why can’t Google be there? What else would you have there? It’s already zoned for offices, do you have an ideological opposition to Google? What’s wrong with social housing being around it? Would be prefer people in social housing be segregated? Why is it unsustainable? Seems perfectly sustainable to me. What is not sustainable is not building more homes.

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    Mute Jonathan
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    May 18th 2018, 4:03 PM

    @John Smith: Great…where are they gona live

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    Mute psychiatrist
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    May 18th 2018, 4:32 PM

    @John Smith: My estimate is that at least 1500 of the anticipated 2500 jobs will be filled by graduates from Irish universities. Not claiming that they are all Irish, which is beyond the point anyway.

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    Mute John Smith
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    May 18th 2018, 4:47 PM

    @Sean O’Brien:

    There is a whole area around Poolbeg that is to be redeveloped for housing. In Helsinki social housing is mixed with prime real estate. There are no rough areas in Helsinki because of it. This idea that poor people should live in an area because rich people are paying more might make people feel that they are worth more because they pay more, but it does little for social cohesion. Housing is the problem of the government, Google having office space has zero to do with it. It’s a high tech area, it drives our economy now and into the future. We should welcome it rather than whine and moan.

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    Mute Fergus Flanagan
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    May 18th 2018, 6:00 PM

    @Sean O’Brien: Sounds like your beef is with City Planning and not Google. Although sounds like you just have an axe to grind with your ex employer.

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    Mute All Holey
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    May 18th 2018, 6:59 PM

    @Dave Doyle: Well said you sir!!

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    Mute Charliegrl80
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    May 18th 2018, 7:04 PM

    @John Smith: yes, indeed but with a lot of unskilled workers “nothing wrong with that per-say” as a low paid worker they couldn’t afford to live or commute to Dublin.

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    Mute John Judd
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    May 19th 2018, 7:56 AM

    @John Smith: imported because we don’t have enough science, engineering and IT graduates that’s why !

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    Mute Randal McNally
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    May 18th 2018, 5:12 PM

    More of our countries assets sold for a song by Nama and started by Michael Noonan when in Minister., and yet they can’t (or Fine Gael Ethos Won’t) solve the housing crisis. Varadkar, Murphy etc. All style and no substance !

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    Mute Bilbo Baggins
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    May 18th 2018, 5:24 PM

    @Randal McNally: €170 million is a fair ‘song’

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    Mute Billy Heffernan
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    May 18th 2018, 6:52 PM

    @Bilbo Baggins: it doesnt actually say how much the site was sold for. It was up for 170 alri.

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    Mute Cos Sullivan
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    May 18th 2018, 7:56 PM

    @Randal McNally: …noonan should be in jail .

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    Mute bopter
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    May 18th 2018, 2:26 PM

    28,000 sqm for only 2,500 employees, i.e. 11 sqm or 120 square foot per person.

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    Mute Shane Corry
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    May 18th 2018, 3:28 PM

    @bopter: The big tech companies usually go for about 10-12 sqm per person rather than the traditional financial layout of 8-9 sqm per person because they tend to use 140-160cm wide desks vs 120-140cm and extra space is taken up by “amenities” not found in other workplaces. Gym, yoga room, games room, bigger canteen, more break-out spaces etc.

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    Mute John Smith
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    May 18th 2018, 3:57 PM

    @bopter:

    bopter is the best username I’ve ever heard, love it.

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    Mute Colette Kearns
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    May 18th 2018, 2:53 PM

    It’s gas really, google employees will be working for them , then handing back their wages to them for rent. A bit to clan like for me. On saying that hope it will bring in plenty of revenue!

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    Mute B9xiRspG
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    May 18th 2018, 3:22 PM

    @Colette Kearns: It’s optional if you want to live on site with Google but useful if you are new to the country.

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    Mute Shane Corry
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    May 18th 2018, 3:32 PM

    @Colette Kearns: It’s possible they will use them solely as short-term corporate apartments – for new staff from abroad to stay in while they find their own place & for staff that are staying over from a different country for a couple of months.

    Otherwise it’s likely to be fairly senior people only as these apartments in terms of size / location are the type to typically go for €3K-€4.5K per month.

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    Mute psychiatrist
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    May 18th 2018, 4:41 PM

    @Colette Kearns: What’s gas about this? Dublin City sells land to business and housing all over Dublin, and it’s Dublin and the Devs who made money out of nothing.

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    Mute Colette Kearns
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    May 19th 2018, 1:54 AM

    @B9xiRspG: ah Jim I’m just saying I would find it all a bit much, you’d end up living in each other’s ear! And what if you’re boss ends up being your next door neighbor? Just stuff like that.

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    Mute Ted Murray
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    May 18th 2018, 6:46 PM

    Everything gets “snapped up” from Nama, the bargain bin of property sales.

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    Mute Cian O Donoghue
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    May 18th 2018, 6:59 PM

    @Ted Murray: not sure 170 mill is a bargain.

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    Mute Ted Murray
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    May 18th 2018, 7:42 PM

    @Cian O Donoghue: __ Any top-notch commercial firm would have at least doubled that :p

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    Mute Rory J Leonard
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    May 18th 2018, 7:48 PM

    @Cian O Donoghue:

    Google probably got a little discount off that list price, and if they place those 46 apartments on AirBnB after they get a lick of paint, the payback, like it’s search engine, will be speedy.

    Their visiting top brass will just have to pay market rents, otherwise our taxman will be in like flynn with a BIK!

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    Mute Charles Williams
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    May 18th 2018, 9:13 PM

    @Cian O Donoghue: Google are not know for overpaying be in income tax or anything else.?

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    Mute Charles Williams
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    May 18th 2018, 9:11 PM

    NAMA is a public entity tasked with getting the best price for private assets bailed out by the taxpayer, we need to know exactly how much Google paid and how much the taxpayer recovered from this deal.

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    Mute shits ville
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    May 19th 2018, 12:33 AM

    @Charles Williams: available to the public on the PRSA website – just like the residential property price register. Sale price should be available a month or so after the sale closes. No smoke & mirrors.

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    Mute The Viking
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    May 18th 2018, 4:22 PM

    You would think they would lease living quarters to staff. They’re gonna need it.

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    Mute AlchemyIrl
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    May 19th 2018, 8:15 AM

    We are still paying USC !

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    Mute Stevie Doran
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    May 19th 2018, 12:48 AM

    0.5% commission for sale on €170million? Drinks on the auctioneer!

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    Mute Bob Hoover
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    May 20th 2018, 8:52 AM

    Google will eventually buy out the whole of Barrow Street imo.

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    Mute Geralyn Early
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    May 19th 2018, 8:53 AM

    Where will this €170 million go? I us

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