There was dispute last night over what exactly was said and by whom during a rancorous debate on abortion in the Dáil yesterday. Fianna Fail TD Mr Dick Roche has strongly denied that he accused his constituency colleague, Labour TD Ms Liz McManus, of being "pro-abortionist" .
"I am reasonably articulate. To say pro-abortionist makes no sense, you are either an abortionist or you are not. What I said was 'if you are pro-abortion, why aren't you honest enough to just come out and say so'."
Fine Gael TD Mrs Nora Owen was suspended when she insisted that Mr Roche withdraw remarks he made about Ms McManus.
Mrs Owen stated: "He said she was pro-abortion," and insisted the Ceann Comhairle "must get him to withdraw that remark". The Ceann Comhairle did not hear the remark and said he could not rule on it.
The remarks could not be heard clearly from the press gallery and when the videotape was watched later by journalists a voice from the Fianna Fáil backbenches could be heard through the din, saying either "you are pro-abortion" or "you are pro-abortionist".
The Ceann Comhairle, Mr Seamus Pattison, said in the Dáil he had asked for the tapes to be "carefully listened to and understand there is no trace of the alleged offending remarks which cannot be heard".
A spokesman for the Ceann Comhairle's office said afterwards the editor of the Oireachtas debates had listened to the tape and "to the best of his ability he could not ascertain who said what".
Ms McManus said she was not pro-abortion but pro-choice. "I would prefer if no woman had an abortion. I have four children and three grandchildren, and that applies to them just as much as anyone else. I would always prefer if a pregnant woman carried the child to full term."
Labour TD Mr Pat Rabbitte said Mr Roche's explanation of what he said was a distortion.
When Ms Owen was being asked to leave the Dáil she shouted, apparently at Mr Roche: "Stop your sneering up there, you're only a thug."
Mayo Fine Gael TD Mr Michael Ring said Mr Roche "should be ashamed of himself".
Mr Roche responded: "That is something coming from a thug and a gurrier . . ."