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THE MINISTER FOR Foreign Affairs believes there is little appetite among the Irish people for a referendum on the State’s abortion laws.
Speaking to Today with Seán O’Rourke today, Charlie Flanagan said, “There doesn’t appear to be an appetite for a further referendum.”
However, he added that it is important the government addresses the issue “in the context of the facts of this particularly harrowing case”.
The HSE has ordered a report to ascertain the facts about a case which has been widely reported over the past five days. On Friday, it emerged that a young girl who says she was a victim of a rape, was denied an abortion and delivered her premature baby by Caesarean Section.
“I do believe it is important and I agree with Leo Varadkar, Minister for Health, when he directed the HSE yesterday to seek a full report to assemble all of the facts,” Flanagan told O’Rourke.
“There seems to be a conflict as to the engagement with members of the medical profession, with the medical treatment, with the timelines. I believe that before we do anything, the facts be assembled and the facts disclosed.”
The Minister also wants Cabinet to be briefed by mid-September as he is certain the report can be completed within a fortnight.
Commenting on last year’s Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act, Flanagan dismissed suggestions that the new laws are not working.
“… Before we can be conclusive on that, or before we can form an opinion on that, we need to be appraised fully of the facts and circumstances. I think it is important that the review mechanism under the Act be allowed to take place. If the current case means bringing that forward a few months, so be it.”
It is understood that Fine Gael deputies are balking at the idea of a referendum on the 8th Amendment of the Constitution, which was introduced in 1983 and put the right to life of an unborn baby on a par with the mother carrying it.
However, some Labour TDs have been vocal in their wish for action on the issue.
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Hailo’s message to Uber:……….. Fc*k Off we don’t wan’t competition.
Hailo are supposed to be in trouble over spending and no investment so uber def spells trouble for them
The journal will literally use any opportunity to mention the gay marriage referendum. Move on.
Gay people can get married now? Gosh, that must annoy certain types of people.
I had not noticed the passing reference to the free taxi service to the polling booths for the same sex marriage equality referendum until you drew it to my attention, RoN.
Clearly you would have preferred RoN to have had the service restricted to the opponents of same sex civil marriage.
Thank you for highlighting the Marriage Equality Referendum passed by more than 68% of those who voted.
This topic deserves another separate article so that RoN can get his full rant on.
When will companies and businesses in all industries cop on that they are not in any way simply entitled to your business? If they are out flanked by someone with an innovative idea, the onus is on them to either catch up or offer more appealing innovative ideas of their own.
In theory yes but it seems that the playing field isn’t level. Essentially they are both providing the same service but uber drivers are not vetted or regulated in any way and their costs are lower, for example insurance. Also, I don’t think uber drivers are taxed.
Harry Potters real?
No, just a fictional character who looks a bit like you.
Taxi service in Atlanta is dreadful, everyone i know uses uber and they rave about its convenience, low cost etc. I personally have only used it once and it was bang on, great idea, well executed.
Uber is incredible
Ireland is not Atlanta.
We dont need Uber destroying the jobs of licensed,regulated taxi drivers.
The industry is overcrowded as it is.
They are a scourge on the face of the earth.
The authorities have a responsibility to control this form of unbridled capitalism.
Can we all do part time work as civil servants/teachers/Gardai etc. and put them out of work.?
Not likely.
I hope that Uber is launched in its full form in Ireland, allowing those with a suitable car and a clean criminal background check to apply.
I used ubers multiple times in San Diego this summer and the system works brilliantly and is very cost effective too
No Hailo app for windowsphone…but there is an Uber app, so hailo for f**k off
In the U.S. UBER HAS STARTED DOING LOGISTICS NOW, will Hailo start doing the Ambulance service now???
we only have 12 ambulances in Dublin and these are fully stretched at this time of year… if you need to get to a hospital and a DFB ambulance will be another hour, why not get help?
I can see it happening with the TiSA Agreement privatised hospitals and ambulances, Uber is involved with logistics now. So god knows what the future will bring thanks to TTIP and the Trade in Services Agreement.
Many things are run down in order to change them and the excuse is cost but getting private firms to run things always costs more as the NHS model has shown and the same is starting to happen here now…
Help is one thing but cost will be another???
Given the wages of ambulance drivers, I am sure the government would love it.!
have your say