Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is almost beyond belief that, once again, we find ourselves in the Chamber discussing the lives of women in the context of life, pain and death. In the past 12 months, the House has debated the rights of women incarcerated in the Magdalene laundries, symphysiotomy and, more recently, the disgraceful cuts to the working hours of home helps, the majority of whom are women. The common thread that links these issues is that the Government of the day is acting against the wishes and interests of the women concerned.

Unfortunately, this should come as no surprise to us. The history of the relationship of the Irish State with women or issues that concern women is abysmal. We see this in the infamous mother and child scheme, in the hepatitis C scandal, in the Neary case at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and in countless other tragic and avoidable incidents. Sadly, the list is endless and women have paid a heavy price for the often draconian and conservative ethos deeply ingrained in the institutional apparatus of the State. The historical and contemporary evidence supports the assertion that, since its foundation, the Irish State has, more often than not, acted not in the interests of women but in the interests of powerful organisations like the Catholic Church and the medical profession. The message has been loud and clear: the State not only preserves the status quo but also reproduces its peculiar brand of Irish patriarchy, and successive generations of women have borne the brunt of it. For thousands of women, this has resulted in incarceration, while for others it has meant stigmatisation, poverty, repression, guilt, and invisibility. More profoundly, it has meant women in Ireland have had almost no control over their bodies. The tragic death of Savita Halappanavar is yet another reminder of the State's failure to respect the autonomy of adult women and to afford them their due rights.

Sinn Féin recognises that the subject of abortion is a very sensitive and divisive issue for people. As a party, Sinn Féin is not in favour of abortion.

We are, however, of the opinion that the onus is now most definitely on the Government to legislate without further delay to protect the rights of women in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling of 1992.

The European Court of Human Rights has also ruled that the Irish State violates the rights of pregnant women by refusing to allow them to terminate their pregnancies when their lives are in danger. North and south of the Border, Sinn Féin supports robust guidance that protects the life of the mother. We are not a pro-abortion party and we have never supported the extension of the 1967 Abortion Act in the North. We are however in favour of creating a more caring and equal society where the rights of all women are respected and guaranteed by the State and its institutions.

Many images of Savita Halappanavar have been in circulation since her tragic death. However the most profound of all is a short video clip that shows a smiling, happy young woman in the prime of her life dancing freely without a care in the world. Being pregnant in Ireland placed Savita Halappanavar at risk and, as we now know, this resulted in her premature death. This is a shocking waste of human life and a profound and tragic loss for her husband, family and friends.

The Government has a unique opportunity to ensure that Savita Halappanavar did not die in vain. It also has a chance to demonstrate to women in Ireland that the State is not anti-women and that it respects their right to autonomy and bodily integrity. No amount of legislation can bring Savita back to life, but legislating for the X case in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling can go some way to ensuring that this situation never occurs again.

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