Fianna Fáil Senator Jim Walsh has defended his speech in the Séanad in which he gave a detailed description of 
an abortion procedure.
Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore described Senator Walsh’s speech as “inappropriate and over the top”, while Labour Senator Ivana Bacik accused him of scaremongering.
However, Senator Walsh has defended his words, saying that if people were disgusted at the description he made then they should be “even more disgusted and appalled” at asking doctors to witness and perform such procedures.
Speaking on Today with Pat Kenny, he said the move to introduce abortion was “regressing to medieval practices”.
During his Seanad speech, he cited evidence given by Dr. Anthony Levatino to a US Congressional committee, which outlined in detail the various stages involved in a second trimester abortion, an abortion which takes place in the second three months of pregnancy.
He also mentioned the deep trauma experienced by many women who have abortions.
“In the 21st century, is this medieval barbaric procedure the best we can offer a woman who has an unwanted pregnancy and who can, no doubt, be in serious distress?” he asked.
However, Mr Gilmore said that hoped “we don’t hear much more of this language,” the Irish Times reported.
“Irrespective of the opinions and points of view that people have on the issue, I think that by and large it has been expressed in a restrained and reasonable way,” he added, while attending a publication of a report by the Irish Exporters Association in Dublin.
Meanwhile, Labour Senator Ivana Bacik said that Senator Walsh’s comments were “scaremongering” and would not take place under the proposed Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill.
She said on RTÉ this morning that most abortions were carried out in the first trimester which was “straight forward”.
However, the Government’s abortion Bill does not have any time limits.