Ireland: Government set to accept abortion committee’s recommendations

Government set to accept abortion committee’s recommendations
Taoiseach advises against straying too far from proposals to repeal Eighth Amendment
Jan 16, 2018

Sarah Bardon, Pat Leahy, Fiach Kelly

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has signalled for the first time that the Government will accept the recommendations of the Oireachtas committee on the Eighth Amendment.

This means that legislation will be prepared to allow for abortion on request up to 12 weeks into a pregnancy. The proposed legislation will be brought before the Dáil if a referendum on liberalising Ireland’s abortion laws is passed this summer.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/government-set-to-accept-abortion-committee-s-recommendations-1.3356674


Ireland: Cabinet gets free vote on both abortion bills

Cabinet gets free vote on both abortion bills
Stephen O’Brien, Political Editor

January 14 2018, The Sunday Times

Fine Gael cabinet ministers will have a free vote on the “repeal the eighth” referendum bill in March, and also on a bill next autumn to permit abortion on request up to 12 weeks if the referendum is passed.

Senior government sources say ministers will have complied with the principle of collective cabinet responsibility if they instruct Simon Harris, the health minister, to draft a bill and prepare a referendum to repeal article 40.3.3. of the constitution, which confers an equal right to life on “the mother” and “the unborn”. Individual ministers would then be free to vote against that legislation in the Dail.

Continued: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/cabinet-gets-free-vote-on-both-abortion-bills-z6rvrqlmd


Ireland: TDs line up support for abortion reform

TDs line up support for abortion reform

Ellen Coyne, Senior Ireland Reporter
December 21 2017

Pro-choice politicians are starting a campaign to convince Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin to back a law legalising abortion in Ireland.

Repealing the Eighth Amendment, to allow abortion up to 12 weeks into a pregnancy and lifting sanctions from doctors and women was formally recommended to the government in a report published by an Oireachtas committee yesterday.

Continued at source: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/tds-line-up-support-for-abortion-reform-rd6sfsnvx


Ireland: Fine Gael TD calls on abortion committee to push recommendation

Fine Gael TD calls on abortion committee to push recommendation
Fianna Fáil TD says he will respect rights of party members to advocate different positions

Dec 20, 2017
Sarah Bardon

Fine Gael TD Kate O’Connell has urged members of the Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment to bring their political parties with them in allowing abortions up to 12 weeks.

Speaking at the launch of the Oireachtas committee's report, Ms O'Connell has urged members of the Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment to bring their political parties with them is allowing abortion up to 12 weeks.

Continued at source: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/fine-gael-td-calls-on-abortion-committee-to-push-recommendation-1.3334374


Ireland: Fine Gael wants cabinet unity over abortion

Fine Gael wants cabinet unity over abortion

Justine McCarthy and Stephen O’Brien
December 17 2017

Health minister Simon Harris wants the cabinet to adopt a united front on next year’s abortion referendum, although just six of the 15 ministers say they support the findings of a special Oireachtas committee.

Analysis of ministers’ previous statements on abortion and their voting records on related Oireachtas motions indicates 12 ministers could support the removal of the 34-year-old abortion ban from the constitution.

The six who have stated their support are Charlie Flanagan, Eoghan Murphy, Regina Doherty, Josepha Madigan, Katherine Zappone and Shane Ross.

Continued at source: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/fine-gael-wants-cabinet-unity-over-abortion-nzqhskm2p


Ireland: Sinn Féin TDs face abortion deadline at ardfheis

Sinn Féin TDs face abortion deadline at ardfheis
SF will adopt a policy on the issue at the event – and members will be expected to toe that line

Nov 16, 2017
Fiach Kelly, Sarah Bardon

Sinn Féin’s political opponents often describe the party as a cult but, on one issue at least, it is just like all other parties: views among members on abortion are divided, from top to bottom.

Unlike Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, however, Sinn Féin will adopt a policy on abortion at its ardfheis this weekend, and all TDs will have to toe the party line, no matter what they personally believe.

Continued at source: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/sinn-f%C3%A9in-tds-face-abortion-deadline-at-ardfheis-1.3293329


Ireland: Fine Gael TDs complete 21-person abortion committee

Fine Gael TDs complete 21-person abortion committee
Naughton and Fitzpatrick take final slots on body dominated by two biggest parties

Thu, May 25, 2017
Mary Minihan

Fine Gael TDs Hildegarde Naughton and Peter Fitzpatrick will take the final two slots on the 21-person Oireachtas abortion committee.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil combined will continue to command a majority on the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, which will consider the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly.

Continued at source: Irish Times: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/fine-gael-tds-complete-21-person-abortion-committee-1.3096462


Ireland: Independent Coalition TDs expect free vote on abortion

Members of the Independent Alliance Shane Ross and Finian McGrath who voted to support an abortion vote earlier this summer. Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Finian McGrath says ‘we are not looking for a row’ over motion to hold referendum

Tue, Aug 23, 2016, 01:00
by Pat Leahy, Irish Times

Members of the Independent Alliance expect that they will have a free vote on a Dáil motion on an abortion referendum in the autumn, reigniting the July divisions in the Coalition that caused the most serious Cabinet split since the formation of the Government.

A number of Independent TDs are likely to vote in favour, although it will be opposed by Fine Gael because the Government – of which the Independent TDs are members – has referred the abortion question to a citizens’ assembly, expected to be set up in October.

[continued at link]
Source: Irish Times


Ireland: No protection for citizens to decide abortion

Fears are mounting that those who will consider holding a referendum on abortion will be targeted by pro-life campaigners

by Sarah McInerney

August 14 2016, 12:01am, The Sunday Times (UK)
Fears are mounting that those who will consider holding a referendum on abortion will be targeted by pro-life campaigners

Members of the citizens’ assembly, which will consider holding a referendum on abortion, are to have their names published on its website, despite fears that they could be targeted by pro-life and pro-choice campaigners.

A number of TDs have expressed alarm that the 99 members of the public who will be chosen to take part will come under pressure by lobby groups on both sides of the abortion debate.

Kate O’Connell, a Fine Gael TD in Dublin Bay South, said they should be protected by the government. “It would be very difficult for any private individual if the pro-choice or pro-life campaign were camped outside their house when they get up in the morning,” she said. “That can’t be allowed to happen. It’s just not acceptable. I think it should be nearly like a jury, where they are protected.”

Source: The Times, UK


Irish parliament rejects limited abortion bill

AFP • July 7, 2016

Dublin (AFP) - The Irish parliament on Thursday rejected proposed legislation to allow abortion in Ireland in cases of fatal foetal abnormality.

Prime Minister Enda Kenny had instructed his Fine Gael party members to vote against the bill as the state's top legal adviser believed it contravened the Eighth Amendment of the Irish constitution, which recognises the equal right to life of the unborn and the mother.

"The bill is bad for women and medically inadequate," the prime minister said earlier this week.

Fine Gael deputies were joined by members of Fianna Fail, the other main centre-right party, and the bill was defeated in a vote of 95 to 45.

Speaking ahead of the vote, the bill's proponent Mick Wallace said he wanted to see the proposals tested in the country's Supreme Court.

"It will add urgency to the fact that there's at least four or five women every week in Ireland having to travel out of the country to have a fatal foetal abnormality dealt with," he said.

Abortion is illegal in Ireland unless there is a real and substantial risk to the life of the mother, and a woman convicted of having an illegal termination faces 14 years imprisonment.

However, women are free to travel abroad for abortions and thousands do so every year, mainly to England.

Defeat for the proposed legislation does not mark an end to the controversy over an issue that has polarised Irish society for generations.

Parliament is due to debate a separate bill seeking a referendum on the repeal of the Eighth Amendment within the next three months.

It will also top the agenda for discussion at a Citizens' Assembly composed of a random sample of the adult population, which the government has pledged to create before the end of the year.

The Eighth Amendment was passed overwhelmingly in 1983, with 67 percent voting in favour and 33 percent against.

However, opinion polls over the last few years have consistently indicated strong support for reform and Ireland is now also coming under increased international pressure over its current stance.

Last month the UN Human Rights Committee found Ireland's abortion laws "cruel, inhuman and degrading".

Source: Yahoo.com