A chara, – Michael Noonan asserts that Fine Gael never gave a free vote:“We have a whipping system in our party. We don’t give free votes and everybody, when they [sic] decided to become a Fine Gael candidate, signed a pledge to vote with the party” (Home News, June 18th).
He has a short memory. In 1974 the then taoiseach, Liam Cosgrave, and the then minister of education, Dick Burke, voted against their own Bill to legalise the availability of contraceptives to married couples. Neither Cosgrave not Burke was expelled from the Fine Gael party for this extraordinary behaviour.
The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013 will be passed by a large majority. Under these circumstances, there is no reason why Fine Gael should not allow a free vote to cater for those deputies with a conscientious objection to the Bill or who feel that they should honour a solemn undertaking given in the last pre-election campaign, however naive this may appear to be to their more worldly-wise colleagues.
There is always the possibility that Enda Kenny will have a damascene conversion, and will emulate his egregious predecessor by voting against his own Bill! – Is mise,
PEADAR Mac MAGHNAIS,
Bothar Bhinn Eadair,
Baile Átha Cliath 5.