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IN RECENT MONTHS, both Labour and Sinn Féin have pledged to campaign for a referendum on repealing the 8th Amendment, which gives equal importance to the right of the unborn to that of the mother.
The amendment, Article 40.3.3, was added to the Constitution following a referendum on 7 September 1983.
It reads: “The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.”
Tánaiste Joan Burton has said the Labour party’s 2016 general election manifesto “will be seeking, on behalf of women, to repeal the eighth amendment”.
Sinn Féin will also be campaigning in favour of repealing the 8th.
The majority of Labour and Sinn Fein Oireachtas members seem to be on the same page when it comes to this issue, but division could occur as the debate progresses.
In our survey, 29 Labour TDs (including Burton) and Senators said they support repealing the amendment, one does not, one couldn’t give an answer, and 13 didn’t respond.*
Senator John Kelly is not in favour of the idea, while Deputy Arthur Spring couldn’t give an answer, telling us it’s “a lot more complex than yes or no”.
Some 13 Sinn Féin Oireachtas members told us they support the idea, including leader Gerry Adams and deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald. Four people did not respond.
Pearse Doherty said he is in favour of repealing the 8th, but only in cases of rape, incest and fatal foetal abnormality.
A bill to provide for a referendum on the issue was voted down in the Dáil in May, by 74 votes to 23. It was opposed by Fine Gael, Labour and Fianna Fáil.
A number of Labour deputies missed the vote due to prior engagements, including Anne Ferris – who lost the party whip in February after supporting United Left TD Clare Daly’s efforts to legislate for abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities.
Labour’s Michael McNamara has drafted a bill which deals with the same issue but he said it is more restrictive. It includes a definition of fatal foetal abnormalities and would allow for two obstetricians to be involved in the abortion cases before a final decision is made.
At the party’s Ard Fheis in March, Sinn Féin members voted in favour of repealing the 8th Amendment.
Delegates also voted in favour of allowing abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities. As this motion passed, subsequent motions – about not allowing abortions in this circumstance, and calling a woman’s reproductive rights “entirely” a matter for her – fell automatically.
At the Ard Fheis, McDonald said that couples who are told their baby has a fatal foetal abnormality go through “unspeakable trauma”.
Sinn Féin’s deputy leader said it was “the absolute entitlement of those women, their partners and their families” to “full care … every support and, above all, choice”.
The party’s health spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said it’s “long past time Sinn Féin faces up to its responsibility where a couple is confronted by the tragedy of fatal foetal abnormalities”.
TD Peadar Tóibín did not support the motion, In 2013, he was temporarily suspended from Sinn Féin for failing to vote with the party in favour of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill. He is among those who did not respond to our survey.
Growing pressure
The government has come under increasing pressure of late to hold a referendum on repealing the amendment.
Last week, the UN called on Ireland to revise its legislation on abortion as the current system is “highly restrictive” and clarity is needed over “what constitutes a real and substantive risk to the life” of a pregnant woman, as set out in the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International has called for abortion to be decriminalised here and for the 8th Amendment to be repealed.
Enda Kenny has previously said a referendum on this issue will not take place in the lifetime of this government.
In May, the Taoiseach said he doesn’t “believe in abortion on demand” but noted there are some “issues of great sensitivity” such as fatal foetal abnormalities that need to be carefully considered.
*Note: Senator Jimmy Harte (Labour) is unwell and unable to respond.
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I’d be hiring a kango and ripping the things out again, absolute joke.
Sure they only went and dug a fine big hole outside my driveway with the car in the driveway, didn’t bother knocking in to ask me to move it, took 2 days ringin their offices to get someone out, on the other hand their cones got a hiding
I misread ur comment twice as a kangaroo!! Made me wonder and chuckle!!
The purpose of Irish Water is to create an attractive entity for future privatisation continuing the neo liberal economic agenda which is tearing the social fabric of the country apart.
It cost €85 million for consultants to advise Irish Water on how to install water meters so that they can charge us again for the water supply we already pay for through general taxation.
The remarkably remunerated consultants and the numerous well equipped meter installation crews are paid from the National Pension Reserve Fund and the Property/Home tax which was allegedly destined to fund local services but that promise turned out to be another transparent FG & Labour lie.
Our water infrastructure will be sold to private operators within a decade to generate another lump sum to pay for the bank bailout which is also the reason that we are now being taxed simply to live in our own homes.
From that point on, the free market privateers will charge the citizens handsomely for our water and will have that glorious opportunity because of the initial failure of the free market in the banking sector. It’s an ingenious neo liberal Catch 22 and we are the chumps.
It’s time for the people to stand up now and refuse to allow the ransacking of the country to continue. Boycott the Water charge. Can’t pay. Won’t pay.
The Anti Austerity Alliance are building a boycott campaign against the water charges and are running 41 candidates in the local elections next May.
http://antiausterityalliance.ie/
Right on queue!
Don’t pay and boycott bord gais. People need to stand up and say ENOUGH
Pete, boycott bord gais?
so they shoudn’t pay for gas, even though water is the problem?
I assume you mean boycot Eireann Uisce and don’t pay Eireann Uisce (Irish Water)?
What good will that do?
Irish Water is a subsidiary of Bord Gais. In fact, when the company increased gas prices last year by 8% without any apparent reason, it wasn’t about paying for gas, it was a means to fund its new venture into water supply.
Nicky,
If people refuse to pay their gas bill to Bord Gais over a water dispute with Irish Water they look like complete and utter idiots,
Bord gais energy is in the process of being sold and as such will no longer have any affiliation with Irish water. Boycotting them will have no affect whatsoever. Sure we might as well boycott tesco in protest of water charges.
Isn’t Ming from castlerea?
No Martin..thats not what is inferred and you know it too! Boycott Bord Gais by changing supplier – simples!
If Irish people have any sense of pride..social justice and solidarity left in them..a large campaign getting tens of thousands of current Bord Gais customers to change provider, would soon change the landscape in terms of these water charges and who administers them!!!
Spot on Nigel
How would it change anything? Bord gais is going to be sold soon and will have no connection to Irish water at all.
I think he meant switch gas companies to some other provider rather than Bord Gas so they’ll lose customers.
Yes he is…..remember piss gate…….
4 years? Who’s in charge? Fire them all.
This is going to end up in the courts and rightly so.
A notice to all politiicians or potential electoral candidates for Europe and general Election: get rid of water metering and I will vote for you.
- Infinite spending
- Zero tax.
Its what Paddy loves to hear.
They get enough in tax. Manage the money better. We keep getting told the ‘economic crisis’ is over or we are turning the corner, if we turn the corner anymore it’ll be a circle. Anyway given the amount poured in to dept of social welfare or dept of health then it’s clear the money is there it’s just being managed poorly.
Now with that all said, polar bears cannot vote so you need to get that sorted first. Polar bears have rights!
Jeremey 2.5% of VAT goes towards water already besides what ever we pay in tax so it’s not infinite spending. Paying €8 billion a year in interest charges to the EU/IMF is what is killing us we should stop that for the moment and we would have the money to sort out our water issues.
John Tierney is totally on the case.
He’s hired an army of consultants to determine what to do about the dirty water in Castlerea, and told them they have a blank cheque book until the problem is solved.
Should only take them a few years to find a potable solution.
Maybe im stupid why wud anyone pay for a service der not receiving
Because they want a quiet life with no debt collectors.
Because the Irish are a servile race that just seem to do whatever is asked of them without exception.
I’ll be honest,
I agree with water charges, I think water should be charged for (as long as we get a decent allowance to start with) as far too much of it goes to waste and the water network has been under invested for decades so money needs to come from somewhere to fix this.
However in this instance in a place where a boil notice has been in place for so long these people can’t be expected to pay until this is resolved.
Locals should not have to pay a penny until the water is potable.
We already pay tax for water, this is a double charge
Rob, you can make the same argument for everything.
If tax you pay goes towards other services, so for example if I buy something I pay VAT money from which goes towards roads, health, education etc. Does that mean you shouldn’t pay for GP’s, charges for visiting emergency rooms, buy school books etc etc?
We pay such a low level of tax in Ireland that its insane to expect everything to be free, if you want better services then be prepared to pay more tax like any other country.
Bottom line is the water network needs money put into it, your options are increase other tax like PAYE or tax people for usage. Given water is an important resource in any country and should not be wasted its much fairer to tax usage and give people an allowance,.
Wow, someone with common sense at last.
Martin
You’re in the minority.
Sorry Martin, what? “We pay a low level of tax”? No we certainly do not, but rich people and corporations do.
Water has always been funded through direct taxation in this country. And in any case, the tax is not really about paying for water, but about funding the bank bailout. i.e. lumping the debts big business and the rich onto working people.
Hes not. He’s got his mate talking sense (kenneth the fg wondertroll) by his side
Martin, the water network does need money put into it, but the money being put into metering is NOT being used to fix the network. The installation of the meters alone is costing hundreds of millions, none of which is going towards fixing the 41% leakage we have in our water system.
How does €44 million going to IBM in consultancy fees on metering, help fix leakage in the water supply?
Water metering is not about public good. Its about creating another market for big business to exploit people. That is all that is happening here.
Kenneth?
they came in very fast to fix their meters oh yea, gone in 2 days. how long have we been waiting for them to find the leaks and fix them? will they fix the leaks found by customers once these are put in? will they f¨¨¨. this was always going to be a scam. Corrupt muppets.
this is a disgrace, why havent they sorted this water problem for these people before they started putting in meters?
unbelievable, hate this place.
We pay A low level of tax? Are you kidding me.
We had a water in this country that was replaced by a tax increase, they are not removing that increase now that the charges are back, therefore it’s a double charge martin
*charge
Some bad person went around and broke all the meters where I live with an iron bar and then poured grout in on top of them,
I got a water quality testing company to test my water and they told me it was not fit for human consumption…best €85 i ever spent!
I’m sure the locals will refuse to pay, and rightly so. Why should anyone pay for undrinkable water?
because they only drink a very small percentage of it.
All people suffering boil water notices get receipts for your bottled water and send them as your payments to Irish Water.
“These are not water meters. These are undrinkable-brown-gack meters, It is important that we gather data on private usage of said gack, so that, going forward, we can accurately gouge lesser voters for said gack. Thus ensuring good directorships with the companies that matter when we retire, good jobs in said companies for the family, friends and those with the dirt on us. And you have to keep the lads in the golf-club quiet about their bondholdings, stock options and property portfolio too.” – Government Mouthpiece.
This item completely encapsulates the utter farce which reigns in this country in matters of provision of public services, and completely exposes the canard that “Irish Water” or any variation of it have the slightest concern about service provision in this country. Revenue collection is all that matters. As for what has now emerged about the LOCAL Property Tax, ditto.
It’s raining AGAIN.
1, Build a reservoir or two,
2, keep our fellow countrymen alive by letting everyone have a drink.
3, Pipe the rest to a dry, oil rich country. Two barrels of oil in exchange for one barrel of water.
A local councillor. Hmm. Ask him how many planning refusals he overruled first, before he gets to comment on other issues.
I pay for water already. Have been since I moved into my house. It’s an excellent service and water is always good.
Of course it is a good service. Most water in the western world is a good service and it has to be. It’s the second most important thing in the world after air. You should expect your water to be perfect not happy with the service.
Obviously not Rachel Maceneany of Castlerea so
Ireland – a great bunch o’ lads.
You don’t know the half of it check out who’s been paying for bottled water for the 400 residents of castlerea prison. Yes you amd me @ 2 litres a day
So they’ll soon have the money to fix the water service. great stuff.
as an aside, only a small percentage of water is actually drank.
most gets flushed down the toilet.
So does pooh.
we want the money fcuk the people
Another classic case of Irish wit!! You simply couldn’t write it
Water is water. None of us drink from the tap anymore!!
You drink from the jacks bowl?? Filthy f**ker.
True, I put it in a glass first. It’s awkward drinking right from the tap.
remember local election coming vote this lot out
have your say