MR Paul Coghlan (FG) pressed for information as to why the legal team appointed by the Attorney General to protect the life of the unborn in the case of the 13-year-old rape victim had not made an appeal to the Supreme Court. "I notice that the Irish Civil Rights Association sought an order in the High Court yesterday to protect the life of the unborn in that most unfortunate C case," said Mr Coghlan. An appeal would have ensured that the matter would have been constitutionally decided by the final arbiters in our judicial system, he believed. Why had the State's legal team, "whose client's life was at risk", not taken the appropriate appeal at the proper time?
The leader of the House said he would confer with the appropriate Minister and would contact Mr Coghlan later in the day.