Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The woman does not want to be pregnant and is looking for access to an abortion. She is not entitled to do that in this country. I want to make that clear. That is her decision - not the Taoiseach's decision or the decision of any of the lads beside him. The Citizens' Assembly is proving itself to be a very conservative talking shop from which anybody with a view is eliminated and is not even discussing the central issue of health as cornerstone and basis for any change on abortion in this country. It has not even got around to discussing it, which is incredible five years on from the death of Savita Halappanavar. The other issue about the Citizens' Assembly is that next Monday, a load of people, including bishops, will line up to tell women how they should feel about what is really a personal decision. International Women's Day will be very different. It is good that it is returning to the tradition on which it was founded, namely, struggle and working-class and ordinary people demanding their rights. It is very clear that things are going backwards for women under capitalism. Look at Donald Trump, etc. The women who took the contraception train - the Taoiseach was 20 at the time so he should know something about it - were also told that they were being shrill. They were told to tone it down and that their tactics were deplorable. Who would say now that they did not make a historic change? That is what will happen with the women and young people who will be marching next Wednesday.

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