Pro-choice groups and individuals from across Ireland came together for a meeting in Dublin on Saturday to discuss the name and aims of the newly established Abortion Rights Campaign and to agree to the next steps of the movement.
According to the Irish Times, the campaign is aiming for legislation on the X and C cases and repeal of the 8th amendment to the Irish constitution.
Events and actions are being organized across the country for the coming months. Ailbhe Smyth, the meeting chair, said the campaign wanted to include different interest, including student unions, human rights organizations, legal and medical groups, to help repeal the 8th amendment.
At the meeting, Independent TD Clare Daly said the movement was "here for the long haul."
"We want the immediate introduction of legislation for the right to safe, legal abortion when a woman's life is at risk, including from suicide. We also want the simplest, broadest legislation that includes the right to abortion in the case of fatal foetal abnormality. We will keep the pressure on until we get this.”
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.TriciaG28 | Jan 22, 2013, 11:48 AM EST
I, for one, know precisely which way I would vote. Repeal that stupid, ill-informed Amendment. Ireland HAS abortion. It just gets carried out in the UK or elsewhere in Europe where abortion is legal. I'm curious. All those people that claim to be "pro-life". What if Irish women weren't able to travel to avail of abortion? Do you think it would go away? That women wouldn’t STILL attempt to terminate their unwanted pregnancies? The ONLY thing that would happen is more women would suffer the catastrophic results of illegal and unregulated abortions resulting in grave injuries and deaths. Making abortion illegal doesn't reduce the numbers of abortions being performed; it just drives it underground and women DIE. But I get the distinct impression that you just don't care about that.
Stephanenny | Jan 22, 2013, 11:44 AM EST
Carroll is absolutely making stuff up there. Medical evidence does not state that at all. You have been listening to liars, not experts. Gearoid, pro-choice people do support all the things you've mentioned. We want none of them banned and we don't want anyone forced down any path they don't want to go. But we want all those things you've mentioned to be optional, abortion too. Not mandated by the state.
cillowen | Jan 21, 2013, 10:52 PM EST
hand guns and abortions work hand in hand in ould erin. the crime as portrayed on rte is thru the roof.
Gearoid4 | Jan 21, 2013, 02:41 PM EST
The word "pro-choice" as used by advocates of abortion, is a blatant abuse of the English language. When utilized in it's correct context, it means that you support the full range of choices e.g pro-life counselling, adoption services, financial support for mother and baby etc. Inevitably the word "pro-choice" means that all roads lead to the abortion clinic for those who would have us believe that they are merely supportive of a woman's right to pick whatever option she wants.
falconflash | Jan 21, 2013, 02:15 PM EST
Ireland does not kill babies.
Carroll09 | Jan 21, 2013, 11:26 AM EST
Clare Daly stated only two months ago that she is in favour of abortion on demand - this pro-abortion group has no intention of stopping their campaign if they get legislation on the x-case. Yet, the same people are claiming that the pro-life campaigners are exaggerating when they say that such legislation would be a slippery-slope to abortion on demand: Clare Daly has proven that she would delight in this "slippery-slope". Next, the pro-abortion people are consistently ignoring the medical evidence which constantly shows that there is no case where the intentional taking of the life of a child is necessary. One of the slogans of the pro-life campaigners is "Love them both": this is precisely the point - a woman always has the right to medical treatment, even if the loss of the baby is an unfortunate side-effect of this treatment. Incidentally, not one single abortion has been carried out on an Irish woman in Britain to save her life. Regarding the threat of suicide, the pro-abortionists are ignoring even more evidence: less than two weeks ago all three consultant psychiatrists addressing the Joint Committee on Health agreed that abortion is not a treatment for suicidality. As one of them noted, "the best way to help women with serious mental illness is to treat the mental illness." Finally, abortion in the case of fatal foetal abnormality: code for "some lives are not worth living", or "some lives are worth more than others". I beg to differ, and the opinion expressed by Ms Daly is nothing short of blatant discrimination against people with disabilities. We should not be fooled: Ms Daly will not stop with abortion in the case of foetal abnormality. One of her pro-'choice' colleagues, Ms Jacinta Fay, at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children on January 10, stated that the group would oppose any restriction on abortion including a ban on sex-selection abortions.