Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin voted against the 25th Amendment to the Constitution (Protection of Human Life in Pregnancy) Bill 2001 in the Dáil on Wednesday. He said:

"I am voting against the 25thAmendment to the Constitution (Protection of Human Life in Pregnancy) Bill 2001. I am doing so because the proposed constitutional amendment and legislation is incompatible with Sinn Féin policy where it states:

"We accept the need for abortion where a woman's mental and physical well-being or life is at risk or in grave danger..."

"The government's proposal seeks to overturn the Supreme Court judgement in the X case and to rule out the risk of suicide as grounds for the legal termination of a pregnancy in this State. The law will accept the "reasonable opinion" of medical practitioners that to prevent a real and sustainable risk of loss of a woman's life, a procedure may be carried out which results in the ending of unborn human life but not where such "reasonable opinion" concludes that the woman's life is at risk by means of suicide.

"It appears to us that this proposal does not, in the words of the current Article 40.3.3 have "due regard to the equal right to life of the mother".

"Sinn Féin believes that the constitutional/legal mechanism being employed in this Bill is possibly unconstitutional. It is certainly bad legislative practice. The Oireachtas will, if the referendum is passed, be required to pass legislation which it cannot amend without a further referendum. This procedure runs the risk of further lengthy litigation and yet another requirement to put the issues to the people by way of constitutional amendment.

"Successive referenda have shown that the Constitution is not the appropriate place to deal with the complex issue of abortion.

"Those who object to this legislation have been challenged to come up with a viable alternative. But there is no obligation on anyone to support a deeply flawed proposal which could make the situation worse on the basis that they do not have detailed alternative legislative proposals themselves.

"We recognise that this is an extremely difficult issue for all concerned.

There is a variety of strongly and sincerely held views in every party, including Sinn Féin. There are those who support the legislation, believing that it strikes a sustainable balance. There are those opposed on the basis that it denies to women the right to choose. There are those who oppose the Bill because they believe it does not sufficiently protect the right to life of the unborn.

"I recognise and respect those views, holding as I do strong personal opinions on this issue."

Ó Caoláin demands extension of Medical Cards

Speaking in the Dáil on Tuesday night, Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin supported a motion criticising the government for its failure to extend medical card eligibility despite the commitment to do so in the new Health Strategy. Ó Caolain told the Dáil:

"In the week since the publication of the Health Strategy we have seen the lack of vision, the lack of conviction and the lack of leadership in this government exposed as never before.

"It is patently obvious that the long delay in producing the government Health Strategy had nothing to do with the extent of the work involved. Rather it had everything to do with the fact that there was no clear leadership and no direction at the Cabinet table as to how to put right our grossly inequitable health system. The Taoiseach just let his Ministers for Health and Finance fight it out.

"The Health Strategy was unveiled with great fanfare and then the government told us that it would not take the one vital short-term action needed and that is to extend medical card eligibility.

"Nothing is to be done on medical cards in the remaining term of this government and we are told that the planned extension will not begin until 2003 - 'budgetary considerations' permitting. Minister McCreevy won the argument. That is the reality, plain and simple. Minister McCreevy has once again had his way. And, more significantly, the Taoiseach did not take the lead and ensure that action was taken in tomorrow's Budget to help those most in need in our health system.

"We have heard that the initial extension of medical cards to 200,000 people would have cost £80 million. In 2001 Minister McCreevy reduced Corporation Tax at a cost of £214 million. That shows the priorities of this government. The profit margins of big business come before the needs of families who cannot afford to bring their children to the doctor or buy essential medication because they are denied a medical card.

"I call for the immediate extension of medical card eligibility to all under 18, to all on or below the minimum wage, to all with disabilities and conditions such as asthma, necessitating expensive ongoing medication. My own brother has Down's Syndrome and has long held a medical card but I was shocked to learn recently that there are many others with the same or similar intellectual disabilities who do not qualify. This is a disgrace and after four and a half years of huge budget surpluses this government should hang its head in shame.

"Sinn Féin will fight the forthcoming general election on our policy of ending the grossly unequal two-tier system in our health service and providing free comprehensive health care for all."