Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I support a repeal of the eighth amendment. Listening to today's debate and the discussion in the wider society over the past number of months and years, I only wish I had a vote in that referendum. I assure colleagues and those observing from the outside that I will use the very limited amount of clout I have in this institution to ensure we have that referendum. It is past time that the women of Ireland had their say, along with the rest of us, on this matter. I do not want to be flippant and it is a central component of my role in this House to urge people in here and outside who may be following the debate that regardless of what happens with this referendum - I hope we win it and see a repeal of the eighth amendment - there are women in the North of our country who will continue to face the exact same dangers, risks, oppression and suppression of their medical and health needs. I sincerely hope that we get to a point where all across the country, women will not have to fear that kind of criminalisation and risk to their health and emotional, physical and psychological well-being.

Senator Craughwell made a couple of points during the course of his contribution and he is correct. It is something that has caused me conflict, as I am sure it has for all my male colleagues in the course of this debate. He is right in saying we will never be pregnant, which goes without saying. He stated we have women in our lives who we love, admire, respect and cherish and it is because of this we should be vocal and active about this as a matter of rights and health. It is why I have come to my current position. We should listen to the arguments both for and against repeal, as that is part of our role as legislators. Ultimately, we must make the decisions. Nobody has advocated it but I should point out that none of us should seek a cop-out or political cover with this matter. It is a matter that overwhelmingly has an impact on the lives of Irish women but it is relevant to all of us. We have heard about the subjugation of women during the course of the debate and if we believe it was wrong and should be ended, and if we believe in a society that treats people equally with dignity and respect, we all must be vocal about it. We must ensure an end to what is ultimately an injustice inflicted upon women.

Like many people, I do not even really know why I held my position on the issue over a number of years. I probably had it via osmosis from the society and media in which we grew up. That view has come to change. Similarly to Senator Buttimer's observations, it has changed because of lived experience. It came from meeting and hearing people, having an understanding and appreciation for the kind of negative impact this bad measure had on the lives of women. Senator Devine very eloquently outlined this during the course of her contribution. It is because I am a republican and I value mná na hÉireann, and it is because I have been given the honour to come here as a legislator that I believe the eighth amendment is a bad measure. It was bad when the referendum was held and it is bad now. We have the opportunity to end it and we have a responsibility not just to the women of Ireland but to people who are mobilised in calling for it to be repealed. We must give them the democratic franchise to bring that about. For what it is worth, sin mo méid.