Plans by Enda Kenny to establish a constitutional convention to consider whether or not we should have another referendum on abortion has been attacked by the Pro-Life Campaign.
Cora Sherlock of the Pro-Life Campaign said the move would amount to a “charade”.
She stated: “The suggestion that the abortion issue could be referred to a ‘Citizens’ Convention’ will remind many of the charade in 2013, when expert evidence presented at two sets of Oireachtas Hearings was ignored by the Government who went ahead and introduced abortion.”
Calling on the Taoiseach to address more pressing matters of concern in the abortion debate, Ms Sherlock went on: “Let him address the fact that repealing the 8th Amendment would mean removing the basic right to life from our Constitution,” she said. “Let him explain why seriously ill unborn children are having their lives targeted by some members of his Government, including the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. And let him address the serious human rights abuses that abortion has led to in other countries. Answers to these questions, and others like them, are what the public really needs to hear.”
Mr Kenny floated the proposal for a new constitutional convention to decide the fate of the pro-life amendment to the Constitution on Wednesday night.
He also pledged to offer his party colleagues a free vote on the matter.
Mr Kenny’s pledge came after a public intervention by Minister for Children James O’Reilly who called for a referendum towards repealing the 8th Amendment to be held. The Independent further reported that the Minister’s intervention resulted in a strong rebuke from Mr Kenny ahead of the party meeting, but Minister O’Reilly found backing from other party colleagues, including the Minister for Justice France Fitzgerald.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Fianna Fáil party has confirmed that members will also be allowed a free vote on repealing the 8th Amendment.
