Ireland – Churches’ stance against abortion is ‘virtue signalling’

Churches’ stance against abortion is ‘virtue signalling’
The Eighth Amendment is morally repugnant and places women in dire situations

May 8, 2018
Fergus O'Ferrall

Many church leaders have chosen to oppose abortion in Ireland by defending the retention of article 40.3.3 in the Irish Constitution.

This is a morally defective stance, if the aim is to mitigate the relatively high rate of abortion in Ireland.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/churches-stance-against-abortion-is-virtue-signalling-1.3486855

Ireland – Bid to fix abortion law in Constitution did not work

Noel Whelan: Bid to fix abortion law in Constitution did not work
Eighth Amendment has forced isolation and travel on thousands of pregnant Irish women

May 3, 2018
Noel Whelan

We are not debating the merits of the Eighth Amendment in the abstract, this time around. It has been in the Constitution for more than 35 years. We know how it played out – and it wasn’t the way its proponents argued and hoped it would.

In 1983, those who opposed the amendment warned that its terms were vague and uncertain.

In the years since, our superior courts have spent many days hearing arguments about the levels of care permissible. Volumes of law reports have been filled with judicial pronouncements on the meaning of “with due regard to”, “as far as is practicable” and “unborn”. A third of the alphabet has been deployed as pseudonyms for the names of women whose crisis pregnancies became the subject of litigation.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/abortion-referendum/noel-whelan-bid-to-fix-abortion-law-in-constitution-did-not-work-1.3482939

Ireland -Tánaiste says those undecided on repeal may be frightened into No vote

Tánaiste says those undecided on repeal may be frightened into No vote
Yes campaign must convince voters that the status quo is no longer acceptable

April 28, 2018
Barry Roche

The Tánaiste has expressed concern that those campaigning to retain the Eighth Amendment may try to frighten undecided voters into voting No if they have any doubts about the proposal.

Simon Coveney predicted that undecided voters, which he estimated as being about 30 per cent of the electorate,would decide the outcome of the May 25th referendum.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/t%C3%A1naiste-says-those-undecided-on-repeal-may-be-frightened-into-no-vote-1.3477946

How do GPs treat women who’ve taken abortion pills in Ireland?

How do GPs treat women who've taken abortion pills in Ireland?
“They’d be more nervous telling a doctor they don’t know. Oftentimes, they might say they’re miscarrying.”

April 15, 2018

IT’S ESTIMATED THAT around 1,500 abortion pills are used on the island of Ireland each year, or around 5 pills a day.

That figure is based on a study conducted on women in Northern Ireland and the Republic, the number of seizures of abortion pills, and the number of pills ordered by women from online providers.

Continued: https://www.thejournal.ie/gp-patient-3954650-Apr2018/

Here’s the number of abortion pills seized in Ireland in the past 10 years

Here's the number of abortion pills seized in Ireland in the past 10 years
“There is a risk when you buy anything from an unknown source that you simply do not know what you are getting.”

Apr 2, 2018

MORE THAN 6,000 abortion pills have been seized in Ireland over the past 10 years.

The use of abortion pills in Ireland has become a major point in the debate on whether Ireland should liberalise its abortion laws: the chair of the Citizens’ Assembly said that in retrospect it should have spent more time discussing abortion pills.

Because abortion is illegal in Ireland (unless there’s a serious risk to the woman’s life) it’s difficult to get a clear picture of how often abortion pills are ordered online by Irish women from countries where they’re legal.

Continued: http://www.thejournal.ie/abortion-pill-use-in-ireland-3892752-Apr2018/

Ireland ‘would have illegal abortion epidemic without access to UK terminations’

Ireland 'would have illegal abortion epidemic without access to UK terminations'
The Oireachtas Committee is taking evidence on the Eighth Amendment

October 18 2017

Ireland would have an "epidemic of illegal abortions" and a "massive increase" in maternal mortality" if women were unable to access abortion in the UK, a senior doctor has warned.

Dr Peter Boylan, of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said it is well-documented that in countries where abortion is banned, the rate of women dying "remains high".

Continued at source: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/republic-of-ireland/ireland-would-have-illegal-abortion-epidemic-without-access-to-uk-terminations-36240075.html

18.10.2017

Oireachtas abortion committee

Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment

Sabaratnam Arulkumaran

Ireland: Taoiseach not sure public would back Citizens’ Assembly’s stance on abortion

Taoiseach not sure public would back Citizens' Assembly's stance on abortion

The Assembly said terminations should be allowed without restriction up to the 12th week of pregnancy.
Sept 15, 2017

THE TAOISEACH HAS said he’s not sure if members of the public would support the Citizens’ Assembly’s recommendations on Ireland’s abortion legislation.

Speaking at the Fine Gael think-in today, Leo Varadkar said: “I honestly don’t know if the public would go as far as what the Citizens’ Assembly have recommended. Public opinion polls have indicated that they wouldn’t, but that may change during the course of the debate.

Continued at source: The Journal: https://www.thejournal.ie/eighth-amendment-referendum-3600112-Sep2017/