Row over baby ‘torture’ remarks in Seanad
THE row about the use of graphic language in the abortion debate was reignited in the Seanad yesterday when Senator Jim Walsh referred to babies being ‘tortured’ to death.
Last week, the Fianna Fáil senator was criticised for his graphic description of abortion during a debate on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill.
Yesterday, he said foetuses had the ability to kick at 18 weeks and said that brain activity could be detected even earlier.
Senator Walsh said there were people who would love to see language sanitised so that people were not aware of how barbaric the ‘evil abortion industry’ was.
However, Health Minister James Reilly argued that claims that a foetus could feel pain before 20 weeks were ‘utterly unfounded’.
‘You talk of torture,’ he said. ‘This implies the wilful infliction of pain and the ability to suffer it as a consequence.’
Dr Reilly also cited medical studies that indicate a foetus cannot feel pain prior to 30 weeks because of an unconnected cerebral cortex.
Labour senator Ivana Bacik, who last week described Senator Walsh’s words as ‘unfortunate’ and ‘scaremongering’, said it was not helpful to use graphic or insensitive language.
‘We know that remarks last week did cause offence,’ she said. ‘It is not children’s TV, but neither is it Fox News. We are not here to shock.’
But Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill said the truth should not be sanitised, adding that he had the deepest sympathy for Labour senator Marie Moloney, who had spoken of carry- ing a dead foetus to term. She too had branded some of last week’s contributions ‘disgraceful’.
‘My own family and friends and miscarriages,’ Senator Ó Domhnaill said. ‘But it is a natural death. What we are legislating for here is the ending of life, and there is a major difference.’
Independent senator Rónán Mullen said he believed Senator Walsh would be respected for the stance he took. ‘It is ultimately the parliamentarians who stand their ground, and not those who run away, who will be remembered,’ he said.