Fianna Fail leader, Micheál Martin said it was “unchristian” that one of his TDs was recently refused holy communion at a funeral mass. FF Transport spokesman, Robert Troy, TD, wasy denied communion due to his support for abortion, including voting to repeal the Eighth amendment.

“It was unchristian, it was very unchristian thing to do. It goes against… the grain in terms of the true meaning of Christianity,” he added.

In 2008, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, later Pope Benedict, said a politician could be refused Communion if they were a high-profile supporter of abortion.