Hi °C | Lo °C EUROPEAN Affairs Minister Lucinda Creighton says she is being asked by Fine Gael TDs to form a pro-life group to directly approach Taoiseach Enda Kenny with their concerns about the Government's abortion plans.
Ms Creighton (pictured) says deputies have approached her about bringing concerns directly to Mr Kenny, but says she has been too busy with the EU presidency to think about the issue.
"I'm not in the business of naming names but two backbenchers approached me asking me to gather a group to go to the Taoiseach," Ms Creighton said.
Some TDs – thought to number around 10 – are now understood to be asking other deputies to form a group to approach Mr Kenny.
Sources said they feel their views are being taken for granted as the Government proceeds to legislate for abortion.
The inclusion of suicide as grounds for abortion is causing huge discomfort in Fine Gael, but Mr Kenny has insisted it will be kept in any legislation to come before the Dail in the next few months.
"A number of them will definitely vote against this with suicide included," a source said.
They have approached other TDs in recent weeks advocating sending a "united front" to the leadership that the abortion plans might be "going a bit too far".
Ms Creighton, a TD for Dublin South-East, has already expressed her concern about including suicide as grounds for abortion, calling it a "grey area" she did not favour.
She has also said she did not believe there is a consensus within Fine Gael – or any political party – on the issue.
Ms Creighton, last night, said she hasn't been involved "in any group re abortion".
"In fact, I have been approached by others," she added. "I have been travelling incessantly and haven't even had time to think about the issue.
"There's a cross-party human dignity group with people from the Dail and Seanad, but I haven't participated in it."
The discreet approaches have been going on for a number of weeks, with the TDs involved saying their concerns are not adequately featuring at parliamentary party meetings.
TDs known to have concerns about the inclusion of suicide as grounds for abortion include Mayo TDs John O'Mahony and Michelle Mulherin, Longford-Westmeath's James Bannon, Dublin South's Peter Mathews and Dublin North-East's Terence Flanagan.
Irish Independent
