Updated 10.20pm

THE DÁIL HAS held its first vote on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill, with 138 TDs voting for the legislation at the second stage, and 24 against.

As expected, four Fine Gael TDs voted against the changes to the law surrounding abortion in Ireland.

Brian Walsh (Galway West),
Peter Mathews (Dublin South),
Billy Timmins (Wicklow)
Terence Flanagan (Dublin North-East)

Thirteen Fianna Fáil TDs voted against the Bill today, after leader Micheál Martin allowed a free vote on the issue. They include:

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central)
John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny)
Seamus Kirk (Louth)
Dara Calleary (Mayo)
John Browne (Wexford)
Éamon Ó Cuiv (Galway West)
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East),
Brendan Smith (Cavan Monaghan)
Sean Ó Fearghail (Kildare South)
Willie O’Dea (Limerick)
Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath)
Michael Kitt (Galway East)
Seán Fleming (Laois Offaly)

Correction: We previously stated that Cork North-West TD Michael Moynihan voted against the bill, when in fact he supported it. We have now added party colleague Seán Fleming, who opposed the bill and was previously omitted.

As expected, just one Sinn Féin TD voted against the Bill – Meath West’s Peadar Tóibín.

Six independents opposed the Bill:

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South),
Noel Grealish (Galway West)
Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South)
Michael Lowry (Tipperary North)
Colm Keaveney (Galway East)
Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim)

There were three absentees including independent TD Tom Fleming who abstained, as well as Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins, who was attending a serious family matter, and independent TD Stephen Donnelly, who was on OSCE mission in Turkey.

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