Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to take us back to the Ireland of the 1980s. I was quite a young adult then and obviously a young female. It was a dismissive society with rules legislating for the very patriarchal manner in which it was run. Women and girls were controlled by the State and the church. We were intimidated and bullied. The State reigned over half its population. On the surface, it was venerating us as mothers, madonnas or maidens dancing at the crossroads, but when we dared to differ in opinion or make demands, we became whores. Just ask Joanne Hayes. It was in this societal context - the context of the Magdalen laundries, the Tuam babies sites, the forced adoptions and the shame - that the eight amendment came into being, with 66% of the population voting in favour of it. I was not among that 66%.

As that young girl and as a young republican, I instinctively knew that my friends, my sisters and I had no voice. We were smothered by the raging and damaging conservatism of the State, which was then led by the church, that put my health, my sisters' health and my friends' health at risk. We grew up with a trauma and terror of pregnancy, without sex education and without access to independent GPs. GPs would ring one's mother if one went to talk to them. We had no access to contraception. It was the dark ages for women and girls, yet it was only just over three decades ago. Instead I went to the library. I was fed up looking at the horrific posters and quotes about what we were doing to babies that my colleague, Senator Paul Gavan, talked about earlier. I went to the library and I tried to get some more information. I went to bookshops. I went to inform myself and to get away from the rhetoric that was smothering me, my friends and my sisters. We are 50% of the population and we have come a long way. In the 1980s we were young and we were on the cusp of a new generation. It has taken another three decades or so for the young people of today to have their voice. They are heard and they will be heard in this repeal of the eighth amendment.

I thank the Citizens' Assembly and welcome its findings. I also welcome the report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, and especially the contribution of Senator Catherine Noone, which recommends that Article 40.3.3° be repealed and replaced so that women can avail of terminations in certain circumstances, which would include when there is a risk to their health. The definition of health would not exclude mental health or make a distinction between it and physical health. This is essential. We have had the X case and the Y case. We have had women coming back with babies in boxes. We have had all those women admitted to psychiatric hospitals because of their distress and, because of the lack of legislation in this country, they have ended up being diagnosed as having psychiatric mental illness. That is not on. That is the fault of the State and we need to correct it.

Of all the lobbying, correspondence, emails and phone calls I have received, the message that moved me most was from a beautiful woman, Anita, who lives in Tipperary. She has allowed me to read this in the Chamber. She is 44.

I am lucky to have a beautiful boy who is now 5... I would love to have another child but sadly my age but also my mental health means that pregnancy and the years after birth would take a very big toll on me... I was aware that due to my previous mental health history there was a very strong chance that I may develop post natal depression.

She did indeed develop it.

I really can't express how difficult I found the first 6 months of motherhood. Society would have you believe that it's the most special time of a woman's life but I just found it hell. And I felt so guilty... Parenthood is tough but even tougher when you are dealing with demons in your head telling you every moment of every day that you are a terrible mother and your baby hates you... Over the years I gave abortion very little thought, until I became pregnant at 38... I asked my GP, innocently, what would happen if there was a major problem with my baby and it was best to end the pregnancy. When he replied "well you'd have to go to England" suddenly the realisation of what the 8th amendment meant and how it affects every aspect of a woman's pregnancy hit me...I would love more than anything to have another child and for my son to have a sibling but the stress that this would put on me is too much a risk to take...Can you honestly hand on heart say that you are OK with keeping me pregnant against my will, knowing how much trauma it will put me through?

I found that really thoughtful and provoking and I thank brave Anita. Whatever replaces the legislation, we need to provide a wide range of comprehensive health and reproductive services in which equality is realised and control is given to our women and girls to decide on their own health and well-being. Again, I thank the joint committee for its report, which reaches out not just to the women and girls, but to our men and our society and which provides for a kinder, compassionate, understanding and ultimately safer society which would repeal this draconian, smothering legislation. Support our women and girls in difficult circumstances. The status quois untenable and unsupportable. We need to remove the dark shadow over the daily lives of half of the population of Ireland. I trust the medical experts, I trust myself and I trust women. We all need to trust.