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Drone to bring abortion pills across the border to Northern Ireland today

A number of pro-choice activists groups are involved in the flight.

drone The pills being flown across the border earlier today Redwire Media Redwire Media

AT 10AM THIS morning, an ‘abortion drone’ will fly from Omeath in Co Louth to Newry, Co Down in Northern Ireland.

On board will be abortion pills. The drone is being operated by pro-choice activist groups the Alliance for Choice, ROSA, Labour Alternative and Women on Waves.

Women on Waves said that:

Several women will be present at the both sides of the border to reflect on the constant travelling of women between countries to obtain sexual and reproductive health services.
It is an all-island act of solidarity between women in the north and the south to highlight the violation of human rights caused by the existing laws that criminalise abortion in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland except in very limited circumstances.

The aim of the drone flight, said WoW, is to “mark the different reality for Irish women to access safe abortion services compared to women in other European countries where abortion is legal”.

drone - 1 The drone being flown earlier today Redwire Media Redwire Media

The organisation said that its activities are protected by article 10 of the ECHR, the freedom of expression.

At 2.30pm today, a protest will take place in front of the Court of Appeal in Belfast when the appeal regarding the decision by the High Court that Northern Ireland’s abortion law breaches the European Convention on Human Rights will be heard.

In Dublin, a protest in solidarity with the activists has been organised for 1pm outside Dáil Éireann.

Socialist Party and Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Ruth Coppinger has offered her support and solidarity to the activists.

She said:

The abortion drone symbolises the constant traveling of women between the north and south to obtain sexual health services. There was the contraceptive train in the 70s and the Abortion Ship. I and pro-choice activists from ROSA and other groups organised the abortion train and bus in the last two years and now the abortion drone. Actions like this by determined activists to highlight the issue will continue until the laws are changed.

“The medicines used for a medical abortion, mifepristone and misoprostol, have been on the list of essential medicines of the WHO since 2005 and are available in almost all other European countries. However, this medicine is still banned and intercepted by Customs in the Republic of Ireland,” said Coppinger. “Both are authorised medications in the UK but are not available in Northern Ireland.”

Speaking on the Nolan Show on BBC Northern Ireland, Kelly O’Dowd from Alliance for Choice said of the drone:

“If you remember in the 1970s, women activists from the south took the trains to the north to buy contraceptives that were illegal in the south, bring them back to the south. And it’s really only through direct action that we can challenge the law.”

She said it is legal to do this, as the abortion drone is not used for any commercial purposes and does not fly in a controlled airspace. She said an activist with a license will control the drone.

A previous drone organised by Women on Waves flew from Germany to Poland.

In 2015, the Pro Life Campaign described Women on Waves’ decision to send a drone with abortion pills to Ireland as a “cheap publicity stunt that shows utter disregard for women’s health and the right to life”.

UN findings

Last week, the UN found that Ireland is obliged to provide compensation to a woman because she was forced to travel abroad to have an abortion.

A committee of experts from the UN’s Human Rights Commission has found that Ireland’s laws on abortion have had a “chilling effect” on healthcare and contributed to the “negative experiences” experienced by Amanda Mellet, who took the case.

Mellet’s foetus had congenital defects and Mellet chose to travel to the UK to have a termination.

The UK’s 1967 Abortion Act was not applied in Northern Ireland, and it is an offence to take drugs to bring on a miscarriage without doctors’ consent.

However, abortion is possible under Northern Irish law in strict and specific circumstances. Guidelines on the law covering abortion in Northern Ireland were issued in March of this year.

Women are able to seek advice on access to termination outside of Northern Ireland, and health professionals are allowed to inform women of these services.

Policing

In a statement, the gardaí said:

The position in law in this country is that all abortifacients (abortion pills) are unauthorised medicinal products and the control of medicines falls under the remit of the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA). The garda role is under the Misuse of Drugs and controlled substances as outlined by schedule.
Only experts from the HPRA can determine if a “pill” is an abortifacient.

The HPRA said that its role includes the regulation of the placing of medicines in the Irish market, and that abortifacients are classed as medicines.

The types of abortifacient medicines most often encountered in the illegal supply chain by the HPRA contain Mifepristone and Misoprostol. Under the Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) Regulations 2003, as amended, these are classified as prescription only medicines. Accordingly, such products may only be supplied on foot of a valid prescription and dispensed by a registered pharmacy. There are limited circumstances under which such products can be legally prescribed. The HPRA has no remit on policy issues relating to Constitutional matters.

 

It added: “Any person supplying a medicine outside the regulations may be open to prosecution.”

The PSNI said in a statement:

As a police service we respect the rights of people to protest as long as it is within the parameters of the law. Anyone who chooses to participate in the protest should do so peacefully. We continue to monitor the situation and engage with all interested parties. Abortion is a very emotive issue and as police our role is to uphold the law. It would depend on the specific circumstances of an incident as to whether or not an offence has been committed and each case is investigated on its own merit. Police have engaged with campaigners involved in this event.

Read: Concerns over lobbying and transparency of Citizens’ Assembly on abortion>

Read: UN: Ireland must compensate woman forced to travel abroad for abortion>

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124 Comments
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    Mute Anne
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    Jun 20th 2018, 6:23 AM

    Eight fines…is that all?

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Jun 20th 2018, 6:41 AM

    The consequences of privatisation and price gouging.

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    Mute MK76
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    Jun 20th 2018, 7:56 AM

    @Dave Doyle: The consequences of lack of personal or social responsibility by those who want the other guy to pay for everything.

    227
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    Mute Stephen Devlin
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    Jun 20th 2018, 8:14 AM

    @MK76: Not necessarily, most of the dumping in Donegal is done by the refuse collectors.

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Jun 20th 2018, 8:22 AM

    @MK76: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/ireland-s-wild-waste-shows-us-just-how-filthy-lucre-can-be-1.3535326
    Where’s the social responsibility by overpaid price gouging waste disposal companies here?

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    Mute johnp
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    Jun 20th 2018, 8:31 AM

    @Dave Doyle: people can bring their waste to a council dump for a fraction of the cost of bin charges. Anyone caught fly tipping on a large scale should b jailed

    34
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    Mute MK76
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    Jun 20th 2018, 9:04 AM

    @Dave Doyle: Always someone else’s fault Dave. Just like always should be someone else picking up the tab.

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Jun 20th 2018, 9:29 AM

    @MK76: Waste disposal shouldn’t have been privatised. Price gouging should be stopped. There’s always consequences when greed is rampant.

    29
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    Mute MK76
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    Jun 20th 2018, 10:10 AM

    @Dave Doyle: Now you’re just littering this forum with shallow rhetoric.

    The folks who don’t want to pay privatized bin charges are the same folk who didn’t want to pay the local authorities to do it.

    So the core issue here is folk just don’t want to pay.

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    Mute Stephen Devlin
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    Jun 20th 2018, 10:12 AM

    @MK76: you pay either way, regardless.

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    Mute Do the Bort man
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    Jun 20th 2018, 10:25 AM

    @Stephen Devlin: Licensed ones, or lads offering to take away bags for €2 per bag on facebook?

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    Mute Stephen Devlin
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    Jun 20th 2018, 11:14 AM

    @Do the Bort man: Licenced

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Jun 20th 2018, 11:33 AM

    @MK76: Just stop with the BS. That’s pure drivel. Many people simply cannot afford to pay these exhorbitant charges. That’s the bottom line.
    You, like the rest of the FG fanboys, and government think people have bottomless pits to finance the consequences of the privatisation of public services. When they don’t, you try and blame them on the problems that occur as a result of government policies. All of the social problems that exist in the country are as a result of government policy.

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    Mute MK76
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    Jun 20th 2018, 1:05 PM

    @Dave Doyle: Incorrect. Those of who give a damn just aren’t up for funding the “I don’t want to pay” brigade and would prefer to see public resources being spent on those who actually NEED help.

    Do you think folks who can afford to pay shouldn’t?

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    Mute Stephen Devlin
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    Jun 20th 2018, 1:43 PM

    @MK76: I don’t want to pay brigade?

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    Mute John
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    Jun 20th 2018, 1:53 PM

    @Dave Doyle: I guarantee you these people that ‘can’t afford to pay’ can afford sky tv, cans,holidays and everything else they deem is important in their lives.

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Jun 20th 2018, 2:13 PM

    @John: How many of them do you actually know?

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Jun 20th 2018, 2:28 PM

    @MK76: The same slander was used against water protesters, is used against the homeless and those who cannot afford their own homes.
    Will the banks pay the money they stole from people?
    Will Doherty pay her bills?
    Will developers who borrowed billions pay their bills?
    The answer is No. Paying is only for the plebs. The easily slandered.

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    Mute Anto Whelan
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    Jun 20th 2018, 6:01 PM

    @Do the Bort man: do you have a link?

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    Mute SC
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    Jun 20th 2018, 6:25 AM

    In one place I lived in the city centre the bins were rarely collected after privatisation.
    I started calling the council and saying “it’s not my fault the bins weren’t collected, now there are nappies on the street, this is a public health hazard, this is your responsibility” and it worked. So we were paying a private company for bin tags and the council was collecting the bins.

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    Mute Sean Conway
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    Jun 20th 2018, 7:19 AM

    @SC: Only admin jobs in DCC are safe. the people at the top looking out for themselves as usual. there should be an invesigation into who gets these contracts and who benifits.

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    Mute Willy Malone
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    Jun 20th 2018, 6:22 AM

    If they can’t afford the charges, they must live with the rats and sewage their waste creates? That’s privatisation the FFG way.

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    Mute MK76
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    Jun 20th 2018, 7:58 AM

    @Willy Malone: Cant afford or won’t pay?

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    Mute Stephen Devlin
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    Jun 20th 2018, 8:14 AM

    @MK76: What about when you do pay and they dump it in illegal landfills.

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    Mute MK76
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    Jun 20th 2018, 9:05 AM

    @Stephen Devlin: You mean the random lads who you pay a fraction of the cost to, to pick up your rubbish.

    Well who would of thought that was in any way dodgy?

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    Mute Stephen Devlin
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    Jun 20th 2018, 10:13 AM

    @MK76: no I mean the licenced refuse collectors.

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    Mute Do the Bort man
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    Jun 20th 2018, 10:26 AM

    @Willy Malone: Two private waste companies collecting in my estate, competing on prices. The alternative is for me to drive to the dump, which costs around a half of what it costs to have my bins emptied.

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    Mute William Kelly
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    Jun 20th 2018, 6:47 AM

    The cost of these inspections & dumping clear ups is a horrendous consequence of a ramshackle privatisation, not to even cost the environmental damage & bad image caused.
    The private operators should be awarded discrete areas, 100%, & be responsible for collecting every household & business therein, so that non compliant addresses can be identified & enforced.
    One truck per area, cost efficiencies & no missed addresses will follow.

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    Mute FlopFlipU
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    Jun 20th 2018, 6:53 AM

    @William Kelly: good idea ,but it won’t be taken up

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    Mute SC
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    Jun 20th 2018, 7:01 AM

    @William Kelly: The private companies won’t take the non profitable areas. What has happened is the council has given away the areas that used to bring in money and now are left cleaning up the other areas at a loss. They should take control of all of the profit and loss making areas and try to adjust the prices and enforcement so that they break even.

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    Mute Ciaran105
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    Jun 20th 2018, 8:02 AM

    @William Kelly: Unfortunately this is Ireland ! We can’t even use the middle doors of a bus properly unlike most of Europe. Never gonna happen Sweet dreams William,,,, !

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    Mute Liam Ward
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    Jun 20th 2018, 6:27 AM

    I’m surprised @ the journal this morning they have not yet reported on the news that broke yesterday evening Tues and that is that pint drinkers are to b hit yet again with a price hike from Diageo in two weeks time wonder how much greed d publicans in Dublin will slap on it ? More emty stools and closhers for Dublin pubs on the cards

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    Mute Sean
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    Jun 20th 2018, 8:17 AM

    @Liam Ward: Emty Stool – I think I went to school with that fella. He wasn’t in very often though.

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    Mute Nick Caffrey
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    Jun 20th 2018, 8:28 AM

    @Liam Ward: Who cares? If you can’t afford it, don’t drink it.

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    Mute Donal Carey
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    Jun 20th 2018, 7:41 AM

    The problem with Dublin is people cannot afford to live there anymore and the last thing they want to pay for is rubbish anybody renting in Dublin must be struggling. I am surprised there is not a lot more .

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    Mute GerryCummins
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    Jun 20th 2018, 7:47 AM

    @Donal Carey: so move to where you can afford lots of us did and commute. Fecking snowflakes is right. Gang of whingeing “I wants”…

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    Mute Mark McDermott
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    Jun 20th 2018, 10:10 AM

    @Donal Carey: Cost of rent is no excuse for nothing paying for rubbish collection.

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    Mute Do the Bort man
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    Jun 20th 2018, 10:29 AM

    @Donal Carey: Waste collection in Dublin, is a fraction of what it costs in rural areas.

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    Mute Donal Carey
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    Jun 20th 2018, 1:04 PM

    @GerryCummins: My god it’s not me I wouldn’t live in that shit hole I would prefer to live in a shanty town in South Africa

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    Mute laurence o neill
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    Jun 20th 2018, 8:18 AM

    Rubbish should be collected free liked other country’s..we pay property tax and there ber no dumping full stop

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    Mute Irish big fellow
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    Jun 20th 2018, 9:04 AM

    Same in every town. Litter wardens are sitting on their hands and too lazy to try and prosecute. They know who the main culprits are. They should be looking for evidence from certain householders as to how they dispose of their rubbish by looking for receipts of tags purchased.

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    Mute Jack McGready
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    Jun 20th 2018, 8:03 AM

    Charge people a fair price for rubbish removal and this won’t happen.

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    Mute casey
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    Jun 20th 2018, 12:33 PM

    If there are bags with stickers on them why aren’t the bin companies collecting them?

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    Mute Moorooka Mick
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    Jun 20th 2018, 11:16 AM

    This is what happens when garbage collection is privatised!

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    Mute Jonathan Cooke
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    Jun 20th 2018, 12:31 PM

    The city council has outsourced the bin collection to private companies which are ineffective. The cost of bin collection should be included in the property tax and companies awarded whole postal zones for bin collection. The fly tipping will decrease as there will be a blanket service.

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    Mute Arron
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    Jun 20th 2018, 8:51 PM

    Sure the throw the rubbish from the door way..

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