Neale Richmond (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this vitally important debate on one of the key issues facing us in these, our times. I will not take the full ten minutes, so if the Acting Chairman would like to redistribute the remaining time to someone like Senator Máire Devine or Senator Colette Kelleher, they would have far more profound things to say than I would and I would be more than happy with that.

I commend the committee on its work on this issue over the past six months. I particularly commend the Chairman, my good friend, Senator Catherine Noone, on the role she played, often in trying circumstances. I fully appreciate the seriousness of this matter and I respect every single opinion that has and will be given on this matter by all contributors. I truly hope that the debates in the Dáil and Seanad today and tomorrow can be reasoned, that people can disagree without being disagreeable and that such debate will continue into a referendum campaign, if one should occur.

There are a few points I would like to raise with respect to the running of any referendum campaign, but I feel it is important that I outline my own personal opinions on this matter before I do so, in the interests of clarity. I fully accept and appreciate the recommendations of the committee and recognise that the conclusions were reached by consensus, which required compromise by many. However, although I agree with the recommendation to hold a referendum and appreciate the committee's further recommendations, they are not necessarily ones that I wholly agree with personally.

To be clear, I absolutely agree with the removal of Article 40.3.3° from our Constitution. It was put in place in 1983, when I was approximately four months old. I look forward to having the opportunity to vote on it. Beyond this, within my own party and further afield, many have understandably voiced their concerns with regard to the 12-week limit. I too have concerns in this regard but I am concerned that 12 weeks is simply too restrictive from the point of view of best practice in maternal health as it provides too arbitrary and tight a timeline. If a referendum was passed and such legislation was to be put in place, a 12-week limit would still leave Ireland with one of the most restrictive reproductive health systems in the European Union and a long way off the United Kingdom where a 24-week limit is in place. Therefore, I feel that we will still continue to export what should ultimately be the responsibility of our health system. As it stands, the Irish health system is only behind Malta, where abortion in any case is a criminal offence that can lead to jail sentences of 18 months.

That said, I feel it is important that any referendum is held on the basis of the committee's recommendations. Therefore I accept them, albeit reluctantly, and ultimately I hope it will be for the people of Ireland to decide on them. It should be for the people to decide. It is important that they can decide in the fairest and clearest of environments. This brings me to the vital role that the Referendum Commission will play in any such campaign and to a concern I have with regard to online campaigning. I have serious concerns over the appropriate use of paid advertisements online in any campaign. In the past week alone, I have had sponsored posts on my Facebook timeline from no less than ten different organisations seeking to retain the eighth amendment.At least, I think they are different organisations as their names, branding and messaging are almost identical, as is their use of stock photographs. It is not clear whether these pages represent different organisations or are simply fronts for one central organisation and ultimately one central funding source.

I have noted that a number of Members have stated elsewhere that while they accept the need to hold a referendum, they do not intend to personally campaign in any such referendum. I completely accept and appreciate their decision to do so. For myself, however, even though it might be ultimately politically damaging to my ambitions to go elsewhere, I fully intend to actively campaign for the repeal of the eighth amendment. I pledge that I will do so to the highest ethical standards in the interests of fair and decent debate but also in the interests of every single woman in this country.