TDs warned Dáil ban on all abortion slogans will be enforced
Cormac McQuinn
January 12 2018
The Ceann Comhairle has warned that a hard-line approach will be taken if any TDs attempts to wear emblems or clothing with slogans from either side of the abortion debate in the Dáil.
Seán Ó Fearghaíl said the rules prohibiting such items will be implemented "without fear or favour" during the upcoming debates on abortion.
Disability sector must be heard in abortion debate, says McGrath
Greater supports for children with disabilities needed in tandem with abortion legislation
Sat, Dec 30, 2017
Fiach Kelly
Moves to liberalise Ireland’s abortion legislation must be accompanied by greater supports for families of children with disabilities, the Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities has said.
Finian McGrath has also said representatives of the disability sector have told the Government they fear their voices will not be heard during the abortion referendum debate.
Continued at source: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/disability-sector-must-be-heard-in-abortion-debate-says-mcgrath-1.3340795
‘Huge lack of understanding’ of abortion in Oireachtas
Inside Politics podcast: Catherine Noone on how committee backed repeal of Eighth Amendment
Dec 20, 2017
Declan Conlon
“It has been interesting, it has been surprising, it has been amazing, this process, to me. There’s a huge lack of understanding and knowledge in this area, most of all among the members of the Oireachtas. And I don’t mean that in a disrespectful way to my colleagues.”
On today’s Inside Politics podcast, chairperson of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, Senator Catherine Noone, tells Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy how the committee came to its historic decision to recommend the repeal of the Eighth Amendment.
Continued at source: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/huge-lack-of-understanding-of-abortion-in-oireachtas-1.3334074
Brendan Howlin calls for all-party approach on abortion referendum bill
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Labour party leader Brendan Howlin has called for an all-party approach in the Oireachtas on the passage of the abortion referendum bill.
"It is clear that whatever views individual TDs may hold about this question that a near consensus is emerging that it should be adjudicated on by the people in a referendum," said Deputy Howlin.
He said he hoped to meet with the Taoiseach to discuss the issue early in the new year.
Continued at source: https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/pro-life-td-says-abortion-referendum-has-to-happen-819429.html
Abortion scaremongering to be conquered with facts
Ellen Coyne
December 19 2017
Claims about abortion will be fact checked by the referendum commission during next year’s campaign, Leo Varadkar has said.
The taoiseach said last night he was aware that “scaremongering” could dominate the argument.
Continued at source: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/abortion-scaremongering-to-be-conquered-with-facts-2bnpd3qgf
State has a ‘once-in-a-generation chance to address abortion’ – FF TD
Fianna Fáil’s Billy Kelleher says Ireland must stop ‘taking our shame, our tragedy, abroad’
Dec 18, 2017
Vivienne Clarke
Ireland has a once-in-a-generation chance to deal with the issue of abortion, Fianna Fáil spokesman on health Billy Kelleher has said.
Mr Kelleher said Irish society needed to be mature and address the issue of the 3,500 women who go abroad for abortions and the 1,500 who take abortion pills every year.
“It’s time to stop taking our mistakes, our shame, our tragedy, abroad,” he told RTÉ’s News at One on Monday.
Continued at source: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/state-has-a-once-in-a-generation-chance-to-address-abortion-ff-td-1.3331405
Abortion and the eighth amendment: putting it up to the politicians
The abortion committee has voted in favour of repealing the eighth amendment — now it’s up to the Dail
Justine McCarthy
December 17 2017
After 13 weeks, 16 meetings, 47 witnesses and sporadic outbreaks of umbrage, a stunned silence suddenly descended on committee room three in the basement of Leinster House on Wednesday evening. The Oireachtas committee on the eighth amendment had just voted to recommend the repeal of the constitution's most divisive clause, the 34-year ban on abortion.
“Should we clap or what?” asked Brid Smith, a Solidarity-People Before Profit TD who has told how she took a boat to England in 1985 to have a pregnancy terminated. Laughter rippled through the public gallery and around the horseshoe-shaped committee desk. It stopped where Rónán Mullen, an independent senator, and the TDs Mattie McGrath, an independent, and Peter Fitzpatrick of Fine Gael sat together, stony-faced.
Continued at source: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/abortion-and-the-eighth-amendment-putting-it-up-to-the-politicians-fjz8f0pzm
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
What is the situation with abortion in Ireland?
Orders for pills to end pregNancy rise as number going to UK for terminations drops
Fri, Dec 15, 2017
Ciarán D'Arcy
Current abortion regime in Ireland
Abortion is currently illegal in Ireland except in situations where a pregnancy poses a threat to the life of the mother, including suicidal ideation.
Of the 25 legal terminations performed in Ireland last year, only one was on the basis of suicidality. Just seven terminations were carried out between 2014 and 2016 under the grounds of suicidal ideation as included in the 2013 Act.
Continued at source: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/six-cabinet-ministers-say-they-are-in-favour-of-abortion-proposals-1.3329191
Irish Lawmakers Back Repeal of Abortion Ban
By ED O’LOUGHLIN (Web Summary: A parliamentary committee also said a woman should be able to terminate a pregnancy up to the 12th week.) December 14, 2017
DUBLIN — An Irish parliamentary committee recommended on Wednesday that a constitutional ban on abortion be repealed, paving the way for the liberalization of one of the world’s strictest abortion laws.
The committee recommended removing the provision in the Irish Constitution that gives a fetus and the mother an equal legal right to life, which has been the law since 1983. That provision has been used to ban abortion in all circumstances, including rape, incest, fatal fetal abnormality and any risk to the life of the mother.
Continued at source: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/12/13/irish-lawmakers-back-repeal-abortion-ban/TK3ik8LUnFoEr96NXmi6CJ/story.html
Facebook
Google+
Twitter
LinkedIn