Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny bore the public brunt of pro-life protestors as one of his party senators vowed to break ranks and vote against planned changes to Ireland’s abortion laws.
Senator Fidelma Healy Eames confirmed on Sunday that she will not be supporting the Protection of Life in Pregnancy Bill.
She made her announcement just hours before Kenny was heckled by anti-abortion protesters as he unveiled a statue to Ireland’s War of Independence heroes at Ballinlee in County Longford.
Kenny’s speech was disrupted by over 200 protesters who shouted ‘Keep your promise’ throughout his speech despite pleas from the Irish PM to stop and respect those who died in the War of Independence.
RTE reports that was then personally confronted by a protester who told him that he was ‘proposing to kill the unborn while attending a function to honour the dead’.
The Fine Gael leader replied that he was abiding by the Constitution of Ireland but the protester replied the Supreme Court ruling was not abiding by the Constitution.
Kenny told reporters that his public engagements including school openings are being continuously disrupted.
He said: “I am not affected one way or the other because he had “a job to do.”
Fine Gael sources have confirmed that the PM will consider comments from Senator Healy Eames after she became the first senator and female government representative to confirm she will vote against the bill when it is presented to parliament.
Galway Senator Healy Eames said: “I stood for election in 2011 on a pre-election promise, a pro-life pre-election promise, I’m not breaking that promise.
“The bill is a victory for pro-choice abortion advocates and it is too much to take lying down.
“Having reflected on the proposals contained in the Protection of Life in Pregnancy Bill, I cannot in conscience support it. “I’ve had to make this decision for myself. It is a very difficult decision, I’m now going to be voting against my party Fine Gael, it’s the first time I’ve ever been in this situation and I’m very disappointed.
“I stood for election in 2011 on a pre-election promise, a pro-life pre-election promise, I’m not breaking that promise. The Government and the party has turned its back on it.”
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