Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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What this issue has in common with the previous one about abortion for children with significant foetal abnormalities is that the committee will not recommend them here today. However, we need to be careful about how it is presented. In reality, these things are, by definition, being recommended by the committee up to 12 weeks in the earlier motion passed, which is in effect abortion on demand up to 12 weeks. In not voting for these today, the committee is not recommending allowing abortion on socio-economic grounds or for significant foetal abnormality after 12 weeks. However, even there, the committee is just saying, "not for now" because it has already voted to propose the repeal of the eighth amendment. The committee is saying that is does not recommend to our legislators to propose this now, but the public needs to know that it is certainly on the agenda for later. I oppose this.