Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Many polls have shown that more than 87% of citizens are in favour of repealing the eighth amendment. It needs to be repealed. We do not believe there should be a further delay in dealing with such an urgent issue. For that reason, we are supporting amendment No. 1, in the names of Senators Ruane and Higgins, which calls for a report and a recommendation on the eighth amendment to be returned to the Houses of the Oireachtas within three months of the date of the assembly’s first sitting. Such a report and recommendation would probably be received by Christmas. Any further delay would be unacceptable. This is clear from public opinion on the matter. We can no longer continue to kick this extremely important social issue down the road.It is worth reminding ourselves that the Government has thus far failed to implement many of the other recommendations of the previous convention. It proposed a range of constitutional changes, including extending voting rights to citizens in the North and the diaspora for presidential elections. I am aware that Minister of State, Deputy Joe McHugh, made remarks in recent days indicating a referendum on voting rights may be held next year with respect to the diaspora, but there was no specific reference to the citizens from the North. There were also proposals for other referenda, including, for example, to amend the Constitution to remove the reference to blasphemy and to provide a constitutional right to housing. There was also a proposal on the article that refers, laughingly, to women’s life within the home. A new convention should be allowed to give its view on when such questions should be put to the people. The previous Constitutional Convention worked well, so why change it?

I urge all Senators to support amendment No. 1, which proposes a return with a recommendation on the eighth amendment within three months of the first sitting. Society, including women, needs this dealt with once and for all. We will be supporting the proposal on climate change.