Ireland’s Dail (Parliament) has overwhelmingly voted in opposition to permitting the practice of abortion under limited circumstances. The new legislation was proposed by Clare Daly of the Socialist Party but was defeated 111 votes in opposition to the 20 votes in favor.
TheJournal.ie reports on the historic vote coming out of the Dail; “All TDs from the Fine Gael and Labour parliamentary parties voted against the legislation, as did all 16 of the present Fianna Fáil TDs. Sinn Féin voted in favour of the bill, as did ten of the independent and other party TDs.”
Prior to the vote being cast, TD Daly criticized Fianna Fail for their anticipated rejection of the legislation and urged Labour Party Members to reconsider voting in opposition.
Following the result of the vote, health minister James Reilly said, “While the Bill as drafted here tonight goes some way to address the A, B and C judgment, the government is clear that in its current form it cannot be accepted because it is lacking in some legal respects.”
Health Minister Reilly elaborated that Section 6 of the bill, which outlined the circumstances under which a GP could “presumed to have obtained consent to treat a pregnant woman when there were no means available to determine her consent – may have been in conflict with the Constitution.”
The opposition to the proposed legislation comes even after a survey of Ireland’s GPs found that a staggering 75 percent of those polled were in favor of limited circumstance abortions. Such ‘limited circumstances’ included rape, major foetal abnormalities, and serious maternal illness where the mother’s life is in danger.
Further, 95 percent of the GPs polled said that they had had consultations about abortions, with 45 percent of those taking place within the last six months.
While it seems that GPs are in favor of limited circumstantial abortions, other political leaders remain steadfast in their anti-abortion views. TheJournal.ie reports that Michelle Mulherin, a Mayo Fine Gael TD, said that the single most likely cause of unwanted pregnancies in Ireland is “fornication.”
TD Mulherin offered her controversial comments before the Dail voted on the proposed legislation. In her speech, TD Mulherin also said, “I am against abortion in any form myself. The grace of God is so liberating and provides so many options to get the best out of life despite our fall in nature, and we all have that.
“Abortion is murder,” continued TD Mulherin, “therefore sin, which is the religious argument, is no more sinful, from a scriptural point of view, than all other sins we don’t legislate against, like greed, hate and fornication. The latter, being fornication, I would say, is probably the single most likely cause of unwanted pregnancies in this country.”
Earlier this year, the government appointed an expert panel in accordance with the 2010 ruling from the European Court of Human Rights which criticised Ireland for failing to legislate for the right to abortion in limited circumstances, in line with the Supreme Court ruling in the X Case in 1992.
TD Daly added that the report from the expert panel in regards to the ruling of the case A, B and C versus Ireland would not be available until July, meaning new legislation would not be brought forward within a year.
15 Comments
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.DanOLoingsigh | Apr 22, 2012, 12:27 PM EDT
The Irish Supreme Court ruled in 1992 that abortion was lawful if the mother's life was at risk. This judgement has not been codified into law, due to lack of political will, but it still stands...fortunately for the legislators most who need abortions can just take the plane to ‘godless England’, thus preserving the myth of Irelands moral superiority…you can be sure that people ‘in the know’ will always obtain terminations for their partners and daughters, but who will speak for the next ‘X’ case girl?
hollabackgurl | Apr 20, 2012, 01:25 PM EDT
Ireland is reactionary and right wing. They look the other way as their wives, girlfriends and daughters take the plane to England. We're not holier than the Brits, we're just wholly hypocritical.
ciaradexy | Apr 20, 2012, 12:51 PM EDT
Seanmor, this doesnt change anything. These women are still going to go abroad. Abortion is a fact of life. No woman goes ahead with an unwanted pregnancy here because she can still travel and abort. This hasnt saved any babies lives, it has just further enforced the fact that irish women have no autonomy over their bodies.
esatdigiwank | Apr 20, 2012, 05:58 AM EDT
How the hell can a parliament legislate for anything when some catholic-talibanist ninny sounds off and brings religion into the mix?? Will this country ever fcking GROW up?
mairint | Apr 19, 2012, 11:31 PM EDT
Thank God the Irish Government has the fortitude and independence not to bow to the abortion juggernaut, Planned Parenthood (alias Irish Family Planning)or the dictators of the E.U. Congratulations and thank you to each and every one of you who voted in favour of Ireland's future children. Shame on you guys for ridiculing Catholics who stand against murder, in particular a long deceased Archbishop. What sort of man wants to put mothers through the ordeal of killing their own child so he can carry on having his sexual kicks without consequence ?
Seanmor | Apr 19, 2012, 08:23 PM EDT
Thank God that the most vuulnerable human beings in the Irish state will not be maimed, mangled, mutilated, dismembered, disembowled, decapitated, at least not in the near future. This is good news also for pro-life people north of the Border, especially Rev. Ian Paisley, who is very protective of the unborn.
Seanmor | Apr 19, 2012, 08:17 PM EDT
Thank God that the most vulnerable human beings in the Irish state will not be maimed, mangled, mutilated, dismembered, disemboeled, decapitated, as least not in the near future. This is good news for pro-life people north of the Border, especially Rev. Ian Paisley, who is staunchly pro-life.
Nicoletta | Apr 19, 2012, 07:06 PM EDT
Ireland - north and south - is not the 'home of the right-wing reactionary' it the home of a people which still overwhelmingly, thank God, recognize the unborn child as having the right to life.
hollabackgurl | Apr 19, 2012, 06:59 PM EDT
So Fine Gael don't have the fortitude to look reality square in the face. Export out conscience to England, look the other way, punt the problems down stream, because we're still the home of reflexive right wing reactionary hypocrisy. No wonder so much abuse flourished for so long in our midst. We get the society we deserve.
ciaradexy | Apr 19, 2012, 05:59 PM EDT
Kitty, youre so right! We did miss his snarking! I was hoping Id hear his whining on the streets of Dublin over the past few days but alas it wasnt to be!
KittyMurphy | Apr 19, 2012, 04:38 PM EDT
@George welcome back! We'd missed your snarking. What they meant by testimonies is the women who have come out about being forced to go full term carrying baby who were "not compatible with life". Carrying them and being asked about their "baby" everyday instead of being allowed under law to have a simple medical procedure. What's the point in that except torture?
ciaradexy | Apr 19, 2012, 04:01 PM EDT
Exactly Nicoletta. Women will still have travel for abortions while your examples of 'the faith' rape children. Nice one! ''We'' didnt reject abortion, our government wont allow US to make the decision for ourselves.
Nicoletta | Apr 19, 2012, 03:35 PM EDT
Thanks be to God that Ireland has rejected abortion. It hasn't completely abandoned the faith - yet.
GeorgeDillon | Apr 19, 2012, 01:17 PM EDT
Horrific testimonies? You mean aborted babies were able to give testimony?
ciaradexy | Apr 19, 2012, 12:34 PM EDT
Another problem exported! Brilliant!