News Roundup

Bishop Kevin Doran raises alarm about laws protecting life

The Bishop of Elphin, Kevin Doran, has released a pastoral message where he called upon people to talk to their friends, neighbours and politicians to save the pro-life amendment. He said that current proposals to repeal it and introduce abortion legislation are “significantly more liberal than the current law in Britain, where slightly more than one in five unborn children are aborted every year”.  “In Britain, all abortion is theoretically on the grounds of health, but the extension of the health ground to include risk to the mental health of the mother provides, in practice, for abortion on demand,” he said.

Bishop Doran placed the debate in the context of the fundamental right to life of all people and raised the prospect that if that right is extinguished for the unborn, then the elderly and euthanasia might be next. “When it comes to the right to choose, there is a tendency to forget that there is another person involved; a vulnerable person who has no choice and who depends entirely on others for protection. If society accepts that one human being has the right to end the life of another, then it is no longer possible to claim the right to life as a fundamental human right for anybody,” he said.

“A number of EU member states have already legalised Euthanasia. I am convinced that if we concede any ground on abortion, the very same arguments which are now being used to justify abortion will be used to justify ending the lives of frail elderly people and people with significant disability. This is the final frontier. If we cross it, there will be no easy way back”.

Read more...

Cabinet to decide Monday on abortion referendum and legislation

There will be a special meeting of the cabinet on Monday for the Government to decide its position on any forthcoming abortion referendum and subsequent legislation. While the cabinet has a regularly scheduled meeting every Tuesday, this meeting has been set up to deal specifically with the issue of abortion. The key issue for the cabinet to agree on will be whether a referendum should simply repeal the pro-life amendment or replace it with a text giving the Oireachtas absolute authority over abortion law so as to immunise it from Constitutional limits and court oversight. The Attorney general is likely to recommend a replacement option, and this is supported by the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, and the leader of Fianna Fail, Michael Martin, but it is opposed by Minister for Children, Katherine Zappone and members of the Oireachtas abortion committee who recommended a straight repeal. The Taoiseach is also expected to reveal his own position on the matter after the cabinet comes to an agreement on its position. Speaking in Davos, Switzerland, yesterday, he said, “This is a very important issue. I didn’t think it would be possible to shoehorn it into an agenda of 20 or 30 items. For that reason we’re having a special meeting on Monday and I hope . . . the Cabinet will agree to proceed . . . with a referendum and also legislation. And I’ll certainly give my views on all of that after the Cabinet meeting if we have an agreement”.

“I am in a different position. I am Taoiseach, so ultimately the question that we’re putting to the Irish people has to be one that is sound and has to be one that the Attorney General can endorse and also I want to, as much as I can, respective of the fact that there is a free of vote, bring my Cabinet and my party with me.”

 

Read more...

Opinion poll finds majority support for repeal of 8th amendment

A majority of voters say they will back the repeal of the Eighth Amendment and support abortion up to 12 weeks according to the latest Irish Times/MRBI opinion poll.

Respondents were asked: “Will you vote to change the Constitution so that the Government can legislate for abortion up to 12 weeks, or will you vote not to change the Constitution?” A majority – 56 per cent – said they would vote in favour of the constitutional change, with 29 per cent not in favour. Fifteen per cent said they did not know or offered no opinion. When undecided voters are excluded, 65 per cent favour repeal and abortion being allowed up to 12 weeks while 35 per cent do not.

The poll was conducted on Monday and Tuesday among a representative sample of 1,200 voters aged 18 and over, in face-to-face interviews at 120 sampling points in all constituencies. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.8 per cent.

The legislative proposal that the Government is supporting, however, will not only allow for abortion on request up to 12 weeks, but will also allow abortion up to birth where it impacts the mental health of the mother. This aspect of the Government’s preferred abortion regime was not alluded to in the poll.

Read more...

Govt passes legislation for Good-Friday drinking, opposed by Independent TDs

Legislation was passed in the Dáil yesterday to permit the sale of alcohol on Good Friday. The only other day of the year when the sale of alcohol is prohibited is Christmas day. The new law will allow the sale of alcohol in pubs, off-licences, restaurants, registered clubs, holiday camps and other licensed premises. Hotels will be permitted to sell alcohol to guests at any time on Good Friday and no longer only when it is served with a meal, which is currently the law. Minister of State for Justice David Stanton, who introduced the legislation, said the restrictions on the sale of alcohol have remained largely untouched since 1922, and they “are no longer in tune with today’s Ireland”.

The legislation was opposed by some Independent TDs. Maureen O’Sullivan TD described the moves to push the Bill as “somewhat strange when there are so many aspects relating to alcohol that we should be talking about”. She questioned claims that the Bill was aimed at tourists.

“How many tourists have been put off coming to Ireland because there is a day when public houses are not open?” she asked. “How many tourists arriving here to discover public houses are closed for 24 hours get the first boat or plane out of Ireland, and how many have complained that they can’t access a public house on Good Friday? I really have to ask for whose benefit is this Bill? Are we saying that the only tourists we want are those who can’t last 24 hours without buying a drink in a public house or going into an off-licence?”

The Dublin Central TD added: “I think we could do with a few Good Fridays throughout the year. We have to denormalise drinking of alcohol. We’re in a society where it’s normal to drink on all and every occasion, if you’re sad or if you’re happy, if you’re celebrating a victory or if you’re coping with a loss – First Communion, Confirmation, weddings, divorces, funerals, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, sports events, holidays. Your grocery shopping includes alcohol as well.”

Independent TD Mattie McGrath also opposed the Bill and said publicans told him Good Friday was a day when they took a day’s rest or did renovations on their premises. “Good Friday is the only day when publicans can take a breather,” he said, adding that “tourists won’t run away because they can’t get a drink” that day.

 

Read more...

Katie Ascough bestowed major pro-life award in Westminster

Katie Ascough, who was impeached as president of the UCD Student Union over her pro-life stance, has been honoured with a prestigious pro-life award in Westminster, London, this week. The award recognises “extraordinary and notable work and achievements that safeguard the dignity and right to life of human beings”. Previous winners have included Chen Guangcheng, a Chinese human rights lawyer who challenged the country’s one-child policy, and Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, founder of the charity Mary’s Meals. The award is chosen by the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group and trustees of the charity ‘Right To Life’.

Katie said that she accepted the award on behalf of “the pro-life generation” and all those who uphold the right to life of the unborn. “I accept it not only on behalf of myself, but of all students and right-to-lifers more generally who suffer unjust discrimination because of their beliefs, in the teeth of bigotry and illiberalism from abortion advocates on campus or in wider society.”

Katie said the atmosphere of conformity at universities could be “suffocating”, but she urged students to speak out courageously anyway. “I urge such people to stay strong, and to follow the courage of their convictions. It may be difficult, but ultimately, I can assure them, it’s absolutely worth it.” Katie was removed as president of her student union after she prevented it publishing illegal abortion information.

Read more...

Zappone says ‘No’ to replacement text, as she backs abortion up to birth

In a blunt speech to the Dáil yesterday, Katherine Zappone categorically ruled out support for replacing the 8th amendment with a provision designed to immunise abortion law from constitutional limits or judicial oversight. She also gave a strident defence of abortion up to birth and challenged the Taoiseach to articulate his views on the matter.

The Minister for Children told the assembled deputies that that while she is willing to listen to the views of legal experts and the Attorney General on the matter, she believes the eighth amendment must be repealed, plain and simple, and not replaced with another constitutional text. “I cannot and will not support any proposed text that would immunise legislation from judicial review and treat abortion as an almost unique matter within our constitutional system,” she said.

She voiced her support for unrestricted abortion up to 12 weeks and also for an extremely liberal regime after 12 weeks up until birth. She said she entirely rejected any suggestion that abortion should be limited to extreme cases after 12 weeks as that would not address “the socio-economic injustice of the eighth amendment”.

“Instead, we have to recognise the many impacts of pregnancy on women’s physical, mental and material well-being. Our new law must ensure that whenever a pregnant woman is of the view that continuing with pregnancy would damage her health and well-being, she would not be compelled to remain pregnant against her will.”

In a line that was widely interpreted as a challenge to the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, she said this was “a time for political courage, not political cowardice”, and called on all deputies to air their views. “This issue is too important for politicians to shirk their responsibilities. In the coming weeks the public has a right to hear the views of every Member of this House.”

Ms Zappone concluded her speech with her view that a new republic of equals would not come into being unless abortion were freely available. “If we are to be the republic to which we aspire, we must repeal the eighth amendment, make abortion lawfully available and commit ourselves fully to reproductive rights for all.”

Read more...

President and Taoiseach look forward to August visit of Pope Francis

President Michael D Higgins has said he is looking forward to welcoming Pope Francis to Ireland this August, while the Taoiseach told the Dáil that the Government is preparing for his arrival as though it were a State visit.

“This past year was yet another in his pontificate in which he offered his words of inspiration, hope and very necessary reminders of our shared obligations not only to humanity but to biodiversity on our planet,” said the President. He was speaking in Áras an Uachtaráin at a ceremony for ambassadors and consular representatives to Ireland. In particular, he welcomed Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Archbishop Jude Okolo, who was recently appointed papal nuncio to Ireland. He said the Archbishop was “the representative of a papacy that has made such a vital contribution to the dialogue we urgently need on the immense threats to our shared but increasingly vulnerable planet – threats which constitute nothing less than an ‘ecological crisis’.”

Meanwhile in the Dáil, the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the Government is preparing for the coming of Pope Francis as if it were a State visit. He said “even though it is not formally a State visit the assistance provided to Pope Francis will be the same as if it were. So Pope Francis will be given the full supports of the State in terms of protocol, security and any other matters.” In response to questions from the Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams and Labour leader Brendan Howlin, the Taoiseach said his Department, “is assisting the Church authorities in the organisation and preparation to be made for that visit”. Regarding the possibility of a visit to the North, he said that “I understand from Archbishop (Diarmuid) Martin that the Pope’s major interest in the visit is attending at the World Meeting of Families” and events associated with that. “Any decision on whether he visits Northern Ireland is of course a matter for him and the Vatican.”

Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Dublin in August for the World Meeting of Families.

Read more...

Govt to back 8th Amendment replacement text, refuse to publish AG’s advice

The Government is expected to back a controversial replacement text for the pro-life amendment that would immunise the Oireachtas from any oversight of the Courts or any Constitutional limits to its power to legislate for abortion. The idea was mooted last week when it emerged that advice of the Attorney General was “likely” to suggest this unprecedented approach. However, now the Irish Times is reporting that the Government “is expected” to adopt this approach and will confirm their decision at a special cabinet meeting next meeting. Separately, it is being reported that the advice of the Attorney general pushing for this option will not be released to the public.

The “immunising provision” was recommended by the Citizens’ Assembly, but rejected by the Oireachtas committee on the Eighth amendment. The Government, however, resurrected the idea even though it is a more radical proposal than the Committee’s recommendation of simply deleting the Eighth amendment.

The only thing akin to an “immunising provision” in the Constitution are the emergency powers accorded the Oireachtas in times of war to pass legislation without constitutional oversight.

Read more...

US companies seek change to admissions policies of faith-based schools

The American Chamber of Commerce Ireland – which represents 700 US firms such as Facebook and Google – is seeking to change the admissions policies of faith-based schools in Ireland so as to make the country more attractive for a multinational workforce.

In a submission to the Department of Education, the Chamber said it “strongly supports moves to improve education access and remove barriers to schools admissions as an integral part of policy seeking to strengthen inclusiveness within the country”.

Speaking in terms of showcasing a “warm welcome and openness to the world”, the public affairs Diretor, Brian Cotter, wrote, “Ensuring that our education system has an access for all approach and barriers are removed are integral to highlighting our inclusive society”.

The letter reveals no awareness that changes to schools’ admissions policies would not create a single extra place for children in schools that are already oversubscribed.

Read more...

Canvassing and social media are focus for pro-life groups in ‘Save the Eighth’ campaign

Door-to-door canvassing and social media engagement will be the mainstay of efforts by pro-life groups to keep the Eighth Amendment in the Constitution. The groups say they have made the decision because they feel shut out of the abortion referendum debate by much of the media and the political establishment. “We never ever hear about the thousands of lives saved every year by the Eighth Amendment. We just never see that talked about,” says Cora Sherlock of the Pro-Life Campaign. The groups are canvassing every weekend, campaigners say, and some local groups have been doing so for months. “To us the ground campaign is the most important thing . . . that’s where we’re concentrating our members,” says Niamh Uí Bhriain, spokeswoman for the Life Institute, an anti-abortion group.

A similar complaint was also made by pro-life Fianna Fail deputies who say that their pro-choice colleagues are getting more than their fair share of media time. Carlow-Kilkenny TD, Bobby Aylward, organised a meeting of “like-minded” FF TDs and senators yesterday at which he said “A lot feel we are not getting our view put across [in the media]. We want our fair share.” Eamon Ó Cuív TD strongly criticised “unelected officials” in the party for selecting certain individuals for media interviews. There was a view expressed that only TDs who were close with the leader were chosen to appear in the broadcast media.

Read more...