Citizens’ Assembly: 64% want abortion without restriction
‘It’s not certain it would pass’
THE committee set up to deliberate on our abortion regime has made a landmark call for it to be allowed without restriction.
And last night Government Chief Whip Regina Doherty said ‘there is no doubt now that we absolutely must have a referendum’.
The Citizens’ Assembly voted in favour of abortions in cases of rape, foetal abnormalities, including non-fatal conditions, a risk to the mother’s health and for socio-economic reasons.
And 64% recommended that abortion without restriction should be lawful.
The assembly – a randomly selected group of 99 citizens chaired by Supreme Court judge Mary Laffoy – also called for no distinction to be drawn between the woman’s physical or mental health. Judge Laffoy will include the results in a report to Government in late June, with an onus on TDs to introduce changes.
Ms Doherty said yesterday that a special oireachtas committee to consider legislation on abortion will consider the recommendations. The Fine Gael TD said the findings of the 20-person committee, consisting of 16 TDs and four senators, will then present their findings to the Dáil.’.
She said: ‘Personally, I am surprised that they went as far as they did because I didn’t expect that.’
She added that while there must now be a referendum, what form it takes will have to be determined by the Oireachtas in the next couple of months. The assembly examined the Eighth Amendment in the Constitution which gives equal right to life to a pregnant mother and to her unborn child.
If the Dáil accepts the recommendations, a referendum will be needed to determine any reform.
In a series of ballots at the assembly yesterday, 64% recommended that terminations of pregnancy without restriction should be lawful. Of those members, 48% recommended terminations without restriction should be lawful up to 12 weeks’ gestation age only, while 44% recommended terminations without restriction should be lawful up to 22 weeks’ gestation age only.
The remaining 8% recommended terminations with no restriction to gestational age.
Some 78% were in favour of allowing abortion if a woman’s health is at risk from the pregnancy; 89% in cases of rape and fatal foetal abnormality; 80% in cases of non-fatal foetal abnormality; and 72% in favour of allowing an abortion if a woman wishes to express socio-economic reasons.
Yesterday, the Coalition to Repeal the Eighth Amendment group said the assembly has made it clear that the Oireachtas must assume responsibility for legislating for abortion.
Ailbhe Smyth, convenor of the coalition, said: ‘The Government cynically established the Citizens’ Assembly to avoid making difficult decisions themselves. This puts it up to our politicians now. There’s nothing left for them to hide behind.’
The Pro-Life Campaign said the recommendations, if inserted into the Constitution, will result in ‘abortion on demand’. Cora Sherlock said: ‘There is nothing liberal or progressive about the assembly recommending a referendum to strip unborn babies of their right to life in law and also ignoring the negative consequences of abortion for women.’
As for a possible referendum, she said: ‘According to polls, support for dismantling the Eighth Amendment is extremely soft.’