MP Brendan McGahon was the only defender of the death...

MP Brendan McGahon was the only defender of the death penalty in a debate about removing it from the Constitution. He stated that the death penalty should not be removed from the Constitution because society "must have deterrents". Legislation to allow a referendum to abolish the death penalty was introduced by the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, who said the constitutional amendment would prohibit its reintroduction in any circumstances, "even in time of war or armed rebellion". This, he said, "sends out a forceful message to the international community of Ireland's strong stance against the use of the death penalty and is one of which we as a modern democracy can be rightly proud".