Dáil debates

Wednesday, 16 December 2015

12:05 pm

Photo of John HalliganJohn Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Since a court in Northern Ireland ruled that a near-total ban on abortion there is in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights concerning women who are pregnant with fatal foetal abnormalities or pregnant as the result of sexual crime - that is, rape - a number of highly courageous women have come forward and publicly told their heart-breaking stories. These involve having to travel to the UK for an abortion, after being told that their much loved and longed for baby had no chance of survival outside the womb.

The Taoiseach's response to this has been to promise a citizens' convention on the eighth amendment, should Fine Gael be re-elected. He has indicated that when a legislative framework comes before the Dáil, he will permit TDs a free vote on the issue.

Ahead of the upcoming election, public emotion is running high on this issue. Yet it was running equally high when the Whip was exercised on both Deputy Clare Daly's and Deputy Ruth Coppinger's proposals to legislate for abortion. On that occasion, one of the most emotive speeches in the Dáil was given by Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett who has known the effects of fatal foetal abnormality. It is an awful shame that we did not take note of that opinion. If so, we would not have eight to ten women leaving for the UK this week to have an abortion. I will tell a story about that in a few minutes.

There is an umbrella group representing 40 organisations in Ireland and I have spoken to many of its representatives in recent weeks. They include the National Women's Council of Ireland, pro-choice groups, trade unions, and human rights organisations, such as Amnesty International and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties. They are now asking every candidate to state their position on this issue.

I am aware that this issue is a divisive one in the Taoiseach's party, not to mention across the country. However, it is now widely acknowledged that we need to put aside our emotions and adopt an evidence-based approach to this debate. The evidence is that Article 40.3.3o does not stop Irish abortions, it merely exports our problem.

In the interests of accountability, will the Taoiseach instruct each candidate in his party - whom he has said he is confident will be elected to form the next Government - to publicly state their position on repealing the eighth amendment? Would the Taoiseach agree that voters are entitled to know exactly where candidates stand on the issue before casting their vote? Because of the party whip system they have been prevented from doing so in the 31st Dáil.

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