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FINE GAEL SENATOR Catherine Noone has been elected as the chairperson of the Oireachtas abortion committee.
The 21-person committee met for the first time today, in private.
Fine Gael’s Jerry Buttimer had been tipped for the position, but it’s understood that Noone was unopposed in her candidacy.
“It’s a great honour and privilege to have been elected chair of the committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. I look forward to working with all of my colleagues from across the political spectrum to ensure the Committee fulfils its remit,” said Noone.
The special committee is tasked with proposing changes to Ireland’s legislation surrounding abortion (namely, the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution which gives an equal right to life to the mother and the unborn) following on from the Citizens’ Assembly recommendations.
The Assembly, made up of 99 citizens, met over a number of weekends to hear submissions from experts on both the pro-life and pro-choice persuasions.
After a number of weeks, it recommended that the Oireachtas should legislate for abortion and allow abortion without restriction in Ireland.
Referendum
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has stated that a referendum on the issues will be held next year.
When re-appointing Simon Harris to the role of Health Minister last week, Varadkar said the minister would be responsible for bringing forward legislation to allow for the referendum on the amendment.
The committee will now examine how to proceed, with members scheduled to meet again in two weeks once the report of the Citizen’s Assembly has been received.
The committee is not expected to hold public sessions until September, and must deliver its conclusions and recommendations to both Houses of the Oireachtas within three months of its first public meeting.
The members of the Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution include:
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First thing first, get the Eighth Amendment out of the constitution. It might take longer to have abortion laws similar to other European countries, but we have to start somewhere. Therefore it is imperative to get the eighth out!
@JJ O’Carroll: Funny how we can stand Europe on most things (and how dare anyone tell us how to sail our ship) but we’re all about everyone else’s abortion laws.
I feel the realization that there will be no abortion on demand is gradually beginning to dawn on the pro abortion lobby. Where they go from here is anybody’s guess.
@Tommy Browne: That realization is non-existent…
@Tommy Browne: Pro-Choice
@Tommy Browne: What makes you think that? Noone is a pro-choice chair. Leo has said 8th is too restrictive. The Citizen’s Assembly voted for a pro-choice changes. All headed one direction, as far as I can see.
Tommy lad,you should go and join up with Renua :-)
@Tommy Browne: we’re not going away you know.
@James O’Nolan:
Both Leo Varadkar and Simon Coveney, the two main candidates for leadership of Fine Gael are opposed to abortion without restriction.
The wording of the referendum will be key.
@Deborah Behan:
Obviously not…but you’ll have to adapt your thinking, that’s for sure.
The 8th amendment should be totally removed from our constitution and this is hopefully a step in the right direction
@AnnieBelle: Why?
@George Salter: Because it’s nobodies place, least of all the goverments to control what someone does with their bodies. If you want an abortion, for whatever the reason, it’s your choice to make & the service should be there for those who want to have on. It’s not going to be compulsary so why would anyone have an issue with it?
@Keith McDonagh: So many points there.. I agree fully with a woman’s right to choose. Unfortunately, I also think that a human embryo/fetus/ baby/ whatever also has *some* sort of right to live. I’m trying to balance these, apparently, competing, rights.
I’ll
@George Salter: If you took away the anti choice gobbledygook and went with the facts,you will find that foetuses (not embryos) have rights & they’re usually given after the first trimester..
@The Dunes Of Inchy: I resent your assumption that I believe in any sort of “gook”. Let’s be rational
@The Dunes Of Inchy: Perhaps you might define foetus, embryo, and then define the rights you think that they/it should have
@Keith McDonagh: incidentally, you didn’t actually answer..
Didn’t I? I’m sure I did.
Logging off here for the night George,and I most definitely do not want to get into a long discussion about the difference between a woman and the human embryo/foetus..
An embryo/foetus should have the same rights as a born person has when it comes to using another persons body …and that is by consent only..
When certain ‘rights’ should be given is when it is viable..which is usually around the 23rd to 24th week ,,
Logging off now George..
@The Dunes Of Inchy: Thanks. That’s rational and reasonable. *Please don’t assume that anyone that comes from a pro-life position is irrational*
@The Dunes Of Inchy: Incidentally, I think that I can take your reasoning apart. That’s another day though…
Roman Mullen?! This will be fun.
Ronan Mullen. Roman Mullen was his Uncle.
@Peter ‘Nocky’ Naughnane: Roman is accurate.
@Tommy Browne: Wishful thinking.
Thankfully the debate has moved from the 8th Amendment being sacrosanct and immutable to discussing the best way of modifying it and undoing the damage that it does for the future.
The sooner the choice is there, the sooner we can finally move on.
I believe that the heading ” Abortion Committee” is a bit much. Is abortion a fore gone conclusion here? I believe that this is an unfortunate for this Committee. Do we know the names of all 21 members? That is very important.
“Abortion committee” sounds like something from Huxley.
There is a curious “intellectual” quirk or personality trait shared by all anti-choice supporters.
Big challenge for them. No one wants to propose something that will be defeated nor alienate their voting base. Good luck to them. Hopefully they will at worst allow for FFA etc.
An ex priest and a religious loon. Why do senators have a say, none of them are elected by the people. This is going some circus
@prop joe: well the people has their chance to remove the upper house. I voted to do so but if they are to retained they must have representation. Plenty of loons in that bunch – on both sides of the discussion
have your say