It has done so decisively, but not without cost. It has caused huge soul searching in the main government party. It’s inevitable that Fine Gael will lose some members of its parliamentary party when the legislation is voted upon next month.

And, while opinion polls have shown overwhelming public support for the legislation, Fine Gael has also inevitably alienated some of its pro-life supporters. Given how seats are won and lost on the basis of a handful of votes, that may be no small matter come general election time.  

But the legislation might also prove to be a defining point in Enda Kenny’s tenure. His assertion he was ‘a Taoiseach who happened to be Catholic’, rather than a ‘Catholic Taoiseach’, will live long in the memory.

It was particularly significant coming from a Fine Gael Taoiseach too. Sixty years ago, during the Mother and Child controversy, then Fine Gael Taoiseach John A Costello made it clear he was a Catholic first and an Irishman second.

Kenny handled a hugely tricky issue as well as he possibly could have. But given the government energy expended on the legislation, he will be hoping that the abortion issue will not arise again on his watch.

However, history shows us that it’s a matter of ‘when’, not ‘if’, abortion reappears on the political scene.

By legislating for ‘X’, the Taoiseach has almost certainly bought himself some time. But the legislation doesn’t end the wider debate. For example, this week’s report into the death of Savita Halappanavar suggested that the Oireachtas should consider constitutional change to provide clarity in cases such as Savita’s.

Then there is the overwhelming public support for permitting abortions in cases where the foetus is not capable of surviving out of the womb. That would also require a referendum.

And finally, there is the more general shift in public attitudes on abortion in the past thirty years.
Because the issue is so complex, it’s difficult to read too much into opinion polls that, for example, show three quarters of voters favouring abortions in cases where a woman’s health is at risk.

But, while it’s hard to put a size on it, it’s clear a growing percentage of voters are taking a more pro-choice stance. All things considered, a sixth referendum on abortion looks inevitable in the medium to long term.

More controversy for the coalition

The week also saw the controversies surrounding John McGuinness getting an airing in the Public Accounts Committee that he chairs. McGuinness has had a difficult time of late but he performed strongly at Thursday morning’s session.

Not too many will agree with his argument that there are exceptional times when a Minister’s spouse should be allowed travel on state business at the taxpayer’s expense. But calls for his resignation by some Independent TDs on the basis of simply expressing such an opinion were ridiculous.

The Taoiseach did not cover himself in glory on the issue either with his broadside from Rome, stating that it was now a matter for Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin.

Kenny broke the old rule about never commenting on a domestic issue from abroad. His attempt to play tribal party politics, while standing beside the Italian Prime Minister, was undignified and unbecoming.

The week also brought the announcement that the government was going to use the remaining money in the state pension fund for a new stimulus plan.

If the money is spent well, it could give a significant lift to the economy and help employment. But if it is used to simply replace the €6n in capital borrowing that was due to take place anyway – and in the process allow for less cuts in current spending and politically easier budgets – then the impact will be minimal and arguably negative.

We’ll have to wait until October’s budget to see the full picture.

The week closed with two opinion polls: one showing good news for Fine Gael with the party up to 30%, a second showing it lagging behind Fianna Fail. Both though had Labour at just 9/10%.

The frustration among Labour TDs at its poor poll ratings is palpable. The summer months normally bring a lift in support for the government. But these are still far from normal times.

Overall, it may have been a decent week for the coalition, but an upsurge in their support levels still looks a long way off. These remain difficult days to be in government.