Lucinda Creighton says new party attitude to whip is influencing Fine Gael

Lucinda Creighton has said the announcement that her new party will allow free votes on conscience issues has prompted comments from Fine Gael about relaxing the parliamentary whip system.

At a briefing for women political correspondents in Dublin, Ms Creighton said she welcomed any moves towards ending the requirement that TDs must vote along party lines in all instances. “Seriously, this is going on for the last 25 years and just because a new party is emerging . . . the main Government party is changing.”

However, she stressed her new party would not become a home for single-issue candidates. Members with both pro- choice and anti-abortion views would be welcome. “Anybody who’s looking for a vehicle to pursue single issues will be looking elsewhere,” she said.

When she announced earlier this month that a new political movement would be launched “within eight weeks”, she stressed members would be free to adopt their own positions on social issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage.

Ms Creighton forfeited both her ministerial office and parliamentary party membership when she defied Fine Gael on abortion legislation in July 2013.

The former minister of state for European affairs, who represents Dublin South East in the Dáil, objected to the inclusion of a suicide clause in the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill.

On Tuesday, the Fine Gael Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan said the parliamentary whip system was too rigid and should be relaxed.

His comments followed a survey of Fine Gael TDs, carried out as part of research on Dáil reform commissioned by Taoiseach Enda Kenny, which found three out of every four TDs favoured loosening the whip system.