Editing Liam Cosgrave (section)

===Contraception===
In December 1973, the [[Supreme Court of Ireland|Supreme Court]] declared the [[Contraception in the Republic of Ireland#Ban on sales|ban on the importation of contraceptives by married persons]] to be unconstitutional. [[Patrick Cooney]], the [[Minister for Justice (Ireland)|Minister for Justice]], introduced legislation in 1974 to regulate and allow married couples to obtain contraceptives. Fianna Fáil opposed any liberalisation of the law on family planning and opposed the bill in the Dáil on grounds of protection of public morality and health. In line with his conservative credentials, and on a free vote, Cosgrave, without warning, crossed the floor to help defeat the bill in the summer of 1974.