A former member of Fianna Fáil in Roscommon has publicly criticised the party’s local TD, Dr Martin Daly, for what she said was his “unbecoming” reaction and his “lack of professional courtesy” towards two doctors supporting retention of the 3-day wait before abortion at a recent Oireachtas Committee hearing.
Eithne Deane said that “the lack of professional courtesy Dr Daly displayed towards his medical colleagues, before they even had an opportunity to present their case, was appalling to watch.”
After the hearing, Dr Daly who is a Fianna Fáil TD for Roscommon was also criticised by Aontú amongst others – with Peadar Tóibín’s party accusing him of “berating doctors who disagree with the removal of the 3 day wait.”
Ms Deane said in a letter published by the Roscommon People that she was “writing as a former member of Fianna Fáil and a local Boyle Town Councillor”.
“I was surprised and disappointed by the comments of our local TD in Roscommon-Galway constituency, Dr Martin Daly, at a recent hearing of the Oireachtas Health Committee. The committee is currently scrutinising the Sinn Féin bill seeking to abolish the three-day reflection period before an abortion,” she said.
“Dr Daly’s reaction to Dr Andrew O’Regan and Dr Kirsten Fuller, who appeared as witnesses before the committee, was in my opinion unbecoming of a public representative. His questioning appeared political rather than evidence-based, instead of engaging in a robust and respectful exchange of views,” she said.
“The lack of professional courtesy Dr Daly displayed towards his medical colleagues, before they even had an opportunity to present their case, was appalling to watch. Some of his parliamentary colleagues intervened to challenge him,” she said.
“If Dr Daly was interested in an evidence-based discussion, as he claimed, he could have focused on the evidence. Dr O’Regan and Dr Fuller explained their positions clearly and presented evidence in support of their claims,” she continued.
And she highlighted an exchange she said was “particularly revealing”.
“Dr Daly referred to an interview Dr O’Regan had given to Spirit Radio and asked: “What is Spirit Radio?” Ms Deane wrote. “Dr O’Regan began explaining what the interview had been about, before Dr Daly interjected: “It’s a Christian radio, which is fine”. ”
“It looked very much like Dr Daly wanted to emphasise this in an attempt to depict Dr O’Regan in a particular light,” she said, adding: “Spirit Radio, for the record, is a national Christian radio station which interviews people from all walks of life, including government ministers, on a wide range of issues.”
It was her view that: “In the end, the attempt to caricature the medical witnesses backfired and, in my view, reflected poorly on Dr Daly himself rather than on them.”
She noted that Dr O’Regan and Dr Fuller spoke about women who have shared their experiences of attending a first abortion appointment but changing their minds during the three-day waiting period and continuing their pregnancies.
“Several of these women addressed a meeting in Buswells Hotel, near the Dáil, on the same day as the committee hearing. They spoke about their first-hand experiences of the three-day wait and why they want it retained.”
“It would have been a much more productive use of Dr Daly’s time to attend that meeting and listen to those women’s experiences rather than engage in personalised attacks on his medical colleagues,” she said.
Deputy Daly was asked by Gript for comment on Ms Deane’s letter but did not reply.
The Roscommon TD has been outspoken on social media regarding his support for legalised abortion – defending abortion on demand as a matter of choice.
In 2024, he replied to a comment saying that US President, Donald Trump, could not abort JD Vance with laughing emojis and a thumbs up.
At the Oireachtas Health Committee hearings, GP Dr Kirsten Fuller said that “the latest HSE records show that between 2019 and 2024,over 10,000 women did not return after the three-day waiting period. That represents almost 18% of women. It’s clear from the data that thousands of children, from babies up to seven-year olds, are alive in Ireland today because of the three-day wait provision.”
“Since the abortion law took effect in 2019, there has been a massive increase in Irish abortions, with over 65,000 taking place to date,” she added. “1 in 6 pregnancies now end in abortion in Ireland based on the latest figures, despite the promises before abortion was legalised that it would be “rare”. Eliminating the three-day wait would undoubtedly lead to a further rise in these already massive numbers of abortions.”
Dr Andrew O’Regan, another practising GP, said that “while the subject of abortion splits opinions, this 3- day reflection period, can and does unite people with different views on abortion. I am aware of medical colleagues with opposing opinions on abortion, including those who are currently providing abortions who are very much in favour of retaining the 3-day wait.”