Social Democrats TD Eoin Hayes has been scathing in his criticism of Oireachtas colleagues who opposed his party’s recent abortion bill, which sought to abolish the three-day waiting period before an abortion and to widen the grounds for late-term abortions.

In a blog post, the Dublin Bay South TD has gone so far as to say he is “really angry” at some of the opposition to the bill, directing much of his criticism at Sinn Féin and Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill for not getting behind the Soc Dem proposal. The bill was defeated in the Dáil at Second Stage by 85 votes to 30.

It’s one thing to support ending human life through abortion, but to publicly declare anger towards those who took a different position takes things to an entirely different level.

Deputy Hayes is no doubt correct that some of the opposition to his party’s bill was motivated by tactical political considerations, but that does not bestow any virtue on the Soc Dem proposal, which was an extreme life-ending bill and warranted defeat.

Deputy Hayes is known to speak in very emphatic terms on abortion but does not have a track record of engaging particularly deeply with the issue. We deserve better from our elected representatives when they put forward proposals, particularly on life-and-death issues. 

Deputy Hayes, who backs widening the grounds for late-term abortions, should clearly spell out what cut-off points, if any, he supports. And since his party leader never answered the question, perhaps he could: before backing the recent Soc Dem bill, did he meet or consult with any of the thousands of women who availed of the three-day wait and ultimately chose to keep their babies?