Ireland: Claims of bias at abortion committee ‘utter nonsense’

Claims of bias at abortion committee ‘utter nonsense’
Senator Rónán Mullan says chair Catherine Noone had ‘failed to procure objectivity’

Nov 22, 2017
Colm Keena

Members of the Oireachtas committee on the Eighth Amendment have criticised colleagues who alleged its work displays bias or who have attacked the committee chair.

Earlier, Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy said a lot of the contributions to the committee had been factual rather than biased, and the claim that the committee was operating in a biased manner was “utter nonsense”.

Continued at source: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/claims-of-bias-at-abortion-committee-utter-nonsense-1.3301054

Ireland: Handmaid’s Tales at abortion committee

Handmaid’s Tales at abortion committee

Justine McCarthy
November 19 2017

Forget science fiction — the eighth amendment debates are truly dystopian

Tammy Wynette was right — sometimes it’s hard to be a woman. Ever more so, these days, when 21 parliamentarians gather in Leinster House each Wednesday to discuss abortion. It’s a topic guaranteed to elicit deeply held grievances, frustration, feelings of victimhood, accusations of prejudice and spittle-licking outrage at perceived injustices, and it does — from men.

Women are in a majority of one on the joint committee on the eighth amendment to the constitution. When its work is done, all of them ought to be awarded a medal, regardless of their personal views on abortion, for their sheer endurance and dignity. For to sit in that room with a womb — or the memory of having had one — is to be subjected to a sort of medieval torture.

Continued at source: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/handmaids-tales-at-abortion-committee-f5fsw3rgq

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