Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 4 October 2017

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution

Eighth Amendment of the Constitution: Constitutional Issues Arising from the Citizens Assembly Recommendations

1:30 pm

Photo of Paul GavanPaul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentations. In the spirit of keeping it real, will Ms Zampas discuss the 12 women who go to Britain each day for abortions? I am conscious that no after-care services are provided in Ireland for those women. Will she speak to us about this topic and the implications for those women who travel each day?

With respect, I find Professor Binchy’s views quite extreme. In cases of rape and incest, does he believe the victims should be forced to continue with their pregnancies? Women are told under pain of criminal sanction that if they take an autonomous decision as to how their own bodies are to be used and opt to abort a foetus, they are then criminalised. Will Professor Binchy list any other area of Irish law where somebody is required to use their body as subsistence for another person under pain of criminal sanction?

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