Moran demands apology for Senator’s “insulting” remarks

Senator Mary Moran with her son Cillian

Local Labour Party Senator Mary Moran has called on a Fianna Fáil senator to withdraw his “insulting” comments about Special Olympics athletes being prevented from being born.

But Brian O’Domhnaill, who claimed that allowing abortions in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities would be “depriving future Special Olympics athletes of being born”, has refused to say sorry.

He was speaking in opposition to an amendment to the abortion bill, which would have allowed for abortions to be carried out in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities.

But Labour senator Moran, whose son Cillian (15) is a Special Olympics competitor, said she was appalled by his comments.

“They are scaremongering and they are insulting,” she told The Irish Independent.

Ms Moran pointed out that unborn children with fatal foetal abnormalities had no chance of surviving outside the womb and would never grow up to become Special Olympics athletes.

She called on Mr O’Domhnaill to apologise.

His comments came on the same day that Ms Moran brought Cillian and other Games competitors to the Seanad to listen to her motion on the Special Olympics programme.

She said she was disappointed that last Wednesday’s debate had been overshadowed, and that Mr O’Domhnaill had not turned up for it.

“He didn’t participate in the debate on the Special Olympics at all. You come out with these brash statements and you are not there,” she said.

Source: Irish Independent

Moran criticises St Fursey’s Church over abortion debate

LOCAL Labour Party Senator Mary Moran has sprung to national prominence in today’s national newspapers for criticising her local church for allowing anti-abortion campaigners the opportunity to speak from the pulpit for the next six weeks.

The former St Vincent’s schoolteacher, who resides in the parish of Haggardstown, told the Seanad yesterday that as a practicing Catholic and resident organist in St Fursey’s Church, she was shocked and disappointed by the decision.

“We have had calls from religious people to keep politics out of religion. I ask that this debate be fair and equal.”

Ms Moran said she had respected both sides of the argument in the debate on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill. She had listened carefully to the arguments and had attended briefings.

Leaflets, she said, were handed out at Mass last Sunday, which stated the Government proposed dangerous and unjust abortion legislation.

“That is an untrue statement,” she added. “If people are being given the opportunity to stand up and give one side of the argument, I propose that the other side be given equal time.”

Asked by Fianna Fáil’s Brian Ó Domhnaill if she wanted to silence the church, Ms Moran replied she did not. “I ask that the church give both sides.”