Independent TD Mattie McGrath has called on the Government to fully clarify its position on the Constitutional protection for the unborn following a number of interventions by ministers in favour of its repeal in recent days.
In a statement, Deputy McGrath voiced his concern that on the issue of the 8th Amendment to the Constitution, “there is a palpable sense that the whole debate is already being manipulated and dragged toward a pre-ordained end; that of unlimited abortion without any kind of legislative restraint”.
“My major concern here is that in all the talk of removing the Eight, there has been a complete absence of any mechanism which proposes to even acknowledge the life of the unborn child at the constitutional level.
“The advocacy groups who are pushing this agenda such as Amnesty Ireland have betrayed a terrifying reluctance to even admit that this is a legitimate area of concern,” he added, asserting that the fact that the most up-to-date polls revealed a decreasing margin of support for abortion “is brushed aside as irrelevant.”
Deputy McGrath went on to describe an atmosphere of despair being generated by ministers who have chosen to speak out on the subject.
“There has been a total focus on abortion as the only viable option to a crisis pregnancy to the total exclusion of options like peri-natal care hospices or other support services,” he said of ministers’ comments. “This is not the way to help women in crisis pregnancies; by telling them that ending the life of their child is the only way forward.”
Deputy McGrath concluded that the focus on the removal of the 8th Amendment represented “a narrowing of ‘choice’ which is deeply ironic”.
Deputy McGrath’s statement came in response to comments made by three ministers on their wishes to see a referendum on abortion put to the people. Tánaiste Joan Burton stated that if returned to office, her Labour Party would seek to bring forward a referendum on repealing the 8th Amendment. Her party colleague, the Communications Minister Alex White subsequently stated that the Labour Party will “pursue very vigorously” a referendum.
This was followed by comments from the Fine Gael Minister for Children James O’Reilly who called for a referendum. The Minister said the position of women having to carry babies with fatal foetal abnormalities to term is one he “cannot countenance as a doctor or as a human being”.
In a statement responding to Minister O’Reilly’s comments, Cora Sherlcok, deputy chairperson with the Pro Life Campaign criticised his stance, pointing out that as Minister for Health “he introduced the controversial 2013 abortion law, a law that incidentally allows abortion up to birth based on a threat of suicide, even though medical evidence shows that abortion is not a treatment for suicidal feelings. Sadly, abortions have already taken place as a result of this law and babies have lost their lives.
