Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I fully agree with everything the Tánaiste said. While I also recognise that a divisive debate is taking place, I want the Tánaiste to join me in stating the use of misleading information and ugly imagery and the claim that what is proposed is a licence to kill are confusing people. If they are asked whether they want to give women the right to decide for themselves, 62% answer "Yes". This is important because whatever the Tánaiste or I think, the question people are being asked is whether they believe women should decide on this societal issue. In the event that the referendum is won and people vote "Yes", we will have to deal with ancillary issues such as making contraception free and having non-ethos, objective and factually based sex education in schools. These are issues that matter for women and if the referendum does not pass, we will continue to condemn women to leave the country and younger women will be condemned to take a pill alone at home and endure a great deal of pain without the medical supervision of their doctors. There is a chill factor attached to the eighth amendment because it criminalises women and their doctors. The Tánaiste should not believe for one moment that this chill factor does not hang over the entire population, including partners and families. While I appreciate his remarks, we must clarify that the referendum is not about a licence to kill.

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