Tonight the (almost) all-male parliament will vote to imprison a woman, for up to 14 years, who refuses to give her body to the sustenance of another human being, irrespective of almost all circumstances. It is irrespective of whether the pregnancy would do serious and irreversible harm to her health for the rest of her life. It is irrespective of the circumstances whereby she became pregnant, for example, if she had been gang-raped and was distraught at the prospect of bringing to full term the child of one of her rapists. It is irrespective of whether the woman would be able to cope physically, emotionally and psychologically with having, say, a 10th child. It’s irrespective of the woman’s will. And those 140 or so TDs who vote for this Bill tonight will vote for a provision (section 18) that makes it unmistakably clear that nothing in the Bill shall prevent a woman having an abortion abroad. Even up the road in Newry, Armagh, or Derry, where abortions are legal, if there is a long-term risk to a woman’s physical health, as distinct from merely her life.

Any inspiration from Wendy Davis is not long wearing off when your own parliament is debating whether or not we should just let women die instead of allowing access to abortion in as limited circumstances as if their life is in danger.