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

Over the past decade a radical active women's movement has made huge gains, forcing conservative governments here and in several Latin American countries, where historically the Catholic Church has also been dominant, finally to provide abortion rights. Now there seems to be a growing backlash against the rights women have won, with all of the misogyny around the issue following the US Supreme Court's appalling decision to reverse Roe v.Wade.

This is triggering abortion bans in many US states. Of course, we know that banning abortion does not stop abortion. It only drives it underground and hurts the poorer and most marginalised the most. I will quote the Minister of Justice as reported in the papers today:

There is just this feeling, whatever about Roe V Wade ... there is a feeling of going back a little, so it’s important to push back.

The best defence for the right of women to choose is to push forward. Rights for women, in particular, can never be taken for granted. The conservative religious right in all countries will always try to take over and take back those hard-won rights. We need the promised review of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, the holding of which has been committed to this year.

What will the Taoiseach's Government do to push back against the backlash against women's and trans rights so they cannot be undermined in future? Will he commit to abolishing the three-day wait which was put into the law as a sop to those types who rejoice over Roe v. Wade? Will he commit to abolishing the 12-week limit and to full decriminalisation of abortion in this country so women and pregnant people can be guaranteed the very basic right to control their own bodies? Is it not time, Taoiseach, to say "our bodies, our choice"?

I put that in the context of the recent report which showed that from 2019, the year we passed the law, over 770 women had to leave this jurisdiction again to travel to the UK for abortion. We also had the scandalous situation in Northern Ireland where the health Minister, Robin Swann, allowed for the laws that apply in Britain to apply in the North, but there is still not a single abortion provision in the northern state to this date. We face a very dangerous situation. It is hugely important that we give a lead in this. The Taoiseach's Government has to show it is willing to push back to defend the hard-won rights for which women have fought for decades in this country.

We would like to know when the review will take place, that abortion will be fully decriminalised, that there will be a review on the three-day limit and that the 12-week limit will also be lifted. These are very important issues for women and trans people across this country and we have already seen protests emerging on the streets again. This will not go away. It is very important that this Government, particularly since repeal, signals to the rest of the world that we will not tolerate a backlash against women's rights, particularly on the right to choose.

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