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THE EIGHTH AMENDMENT committee are meeting for the last time today to vote on whether they are to recommend repealing the Eighth Amendment.
The Eighth Amendment gives equal status to the unborn and the mother. The committee is tasked with weighing up the arguments for and against the retention of the Eighth Amendment.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie Chair of the Oireachtas Committee Catherine Noone said, “We’ll start on the vote of whether or not to repeal and then we’ll make our way through all the various amendments in conjunction with the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly.”
While there are more than 40 amendments, Noone said a lot of them will group together.
After the vote, the committee will begin drafting a report on its recommendations. All members are agreed that the shorter the report is, the better but that legal advice will need to be taken.
The report is due to be presented to the government by 20 December, before the wording of next year’s referendum will be finalised.
Committee members have already decided that the don’t want the Eighth Amendment to remain as it is, but whether it is to be completely repealed is still in question.
Overall, the members are expected to vote in favour of repealing article 40.3.3 of the Constitution and allowing the Oireachtas to legislate for terminations.
It’s also expected to support the decriminalisation of abortion, the provision of contraceptives for free and improving sex education in schools.
There are 21 members of the Eighth Amendment Committee, three members – Fine Gael TD Peter Fitzpatrick, Independent TD Mattie McGrath and Independent Senator Rónán Mullen – are expected to vote against any measure to remove the Eighth Amendment.
This week Fine Gael’s Hildegarde Naughton said she changed her position and will now support abortion being made available without restrictions after hearing evidence while on the committee.
She is now one of 10 committee members who are expected to confirm support for unrestricted access to abortion up to 12 weeks.
Throughout the course of its work, the Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment has been told by medical experts that the Amendment has a chilling effect on their work.
In October, Dr Peter Boylan, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at the National Maternity Hospital, said:
I don’t think the Constitution is the place to regulate medical practice. [The Eighth] has caused endless problems … You need to legislate.
Pro-life groups have accused the committee of having a pro-choice bias, something that has been repeatedly denied by its chairperson, Noone. A number of pro-life speakers have refused to appear at the committee, saying its outcome is predetermined. Again, this has been denied by Noone and other members.
Tweeting last night, the chair of committee, Noone said, “Like the entire process so far, the voting will be as transparent as possible for viewers outside of the committee.”
Over the weekend an opinion poll revealed that the majority of voters want the Constitution to be changed to allow the Oireachtas legislate for greater access to abortion.
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Just gonna guess that since this is an abortion article, it’ll rack up 300+ comments.
And nobody’s opinion will be swayed either way, by any of your comments.
I have nothing more to add, but I hope you have a good day.
@Franklin Roosevelt: with a host of insults and slurs. Accusations of murder and the likes.
I’m all for repealing but we need to have a clear outline of how It’s going to be replaced before any vote. If they half arse it, I couldn’t be arsed.
@Franklin Roosevelt:
It might be easier for the Journal to close comments on the article and just cut and paste comments across from the last article.
@Franklin Roosevelt: sadly that’s true. But there’s something to be said for showing support for an argument even if it’s poorly received. People take cues from others which is why opinion polls very close to elections are illegal in many places. Just getting the sense that you’re not alone in your thoughts can encourage people to explore the arguments better and can assure them that their stance or votes can make a difference.
If you don’t want an abortion, don’t get one. Problem solved.
@Keith McDonagh: not for the babies who are killed. Not for the babies who survive botched abortions.
@Ismise Máire: Fair play for being concerned about other peoples unwanted progeny maire. Can I ask, how many children have you adopted/fostered so far?
@Keith McDonagh: and if you don’t like slavery then don’t own one… if you don’t like prostitution then don’t be one and don’t hire one… if you don’t like…. (fill in the blanks)———- Wow this is such as easy solution to so many issues. Why didn’t we think of this sooner?
@Mitch Peterson: and do you believe there is a shortage of people willing to adopt? People were going abroad in attempts to adopt. There are more people prepared to adopt than there are children..
@Stephen Duffy: so you’re answer to all this is force women to carry babies to be adopted!!!!
@Ismise Máire: If you know of any babies being murdered call the police
@Ismise Máire: Where in Ireland are these “botched abortions” taking place?
@Ismise Máire: you wouldn’t mind putting up how many babies survived a botched abortion in the UK the past two years? I always love to see happy endings..
@Celtic_Horizon: please don’t put words in my mouth there are a number of alternatives to killing the child..
@Stephen Duffy: ” alternatives to killing the child” – like sectioning them against their will ? Oh ,deary me.You were actually talking about little embryos..That is so adorable.
@Stephen Duffy: Tell us what child has been killed. You contact the Garda if a child has been murdered
@Stephen Duffy: 1st of all, slavery is an entirely different issue altogether. I don’t know how you’ve connected it but still, completely different issue so it’s not a valid argument but if you must know, I’m 100% against it.
2nd of all, my view of prostitution if you must know, as long as nobody is forced into it against their will & they choose to do it themselves, I’ve no issue with anyone who chooses to do it for a living or with those who choose to pay for their services. It’s a choice, much like having an abortion. You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to & you shouldn’t be forced or pressured into it. Everyone should be allowed to decide for themselves what they wish to do with their own bodies if they feel it’s right for them.
3rd of all, a child would have to have been born 1st for it to be murder, then whoever did it should by all means, be locked up. Nobody should be locked up for carrying out an abortion.
@Francis Mc Carthy:
Ahh Francie, gotta love your avatar, here’s a little reminder what she was all about….
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPIl3XweeFY
well i hope it can at least be decriminalized-this policy of young girls facing a jail sentence if they undergo a termination is appalling.
@TheBluffmaster2: yes its a ridiculous law unsupported by pro life advocates and never implemented and never will be nor should it. People in crises pregnancies deserve suppot like given from Gianna Care rather than kill an innocent life
@Ismise Máire: Ah, now I get it…
Nice trolling. Gianna Care indeed! Tim Jackson giving you an ultrasound and worrying about your glossios while a baby powder scented candle burns nearby!
Why has the Journal.ie given zero coverage to Amnesty Ireland breaking the law (and admitting it), by accepting foreign donations for its abortion campaign. The journal.ie needs to be balanced in its presentation of the news as this is a very newsworthy event.
@Stephen Duffy: You forgot to mention it is being disputed and they are in process of fighting it. It was in the news including the journal when news originally broke but if you search any reliable news outlet they haven’t mentioned it since because there is nothing else to report on it . Move on
@Stephen Duffy:
The key, to the potential success of any pro abortion campaign is manipulation through deception, misinformation and deliberate falsehoods. This requires a lot of financial help from the abortion industry and its vested interests. They can’t afford to allow the general public to know the truth.
@Ray Muller: Vested interests in what? There is no oil well or gas wells. Women aren’t a commodity that can be sold what are these vested interests?
@Celtic_Horizon: absolute nonsense.. it’s not being disputed. Amnesty have clearly said “yes we broke the law but we’re not returning the money” .. in other words “we’re above the law” ..
@Stephen Duffy: He told RTE’s Today with Sean O’Rourkeshow: “We will consider every opportunity to challenge this decision. I have repeatedly made it clear that we will challenge this. We are really clear about this.”
….https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/o-gorman-says-amnesty-will-fight-order-to-return-soros-donation-1.3324360?mode=amp
@Celtic_Horizon: WRONG… the point I made was that they broke the law..
You said that’s in dispute. It is most certainly not.. Amnesty in the interview, which you refer to and I heard live, accepted that they had broken the law.. no dispute whatsoever in relation to the point I made..
Yikes IONA won’t like this. Expect to see weekly newspaper and media vitriol.
@kingstown: nobody who has an ounce of decency will like this. The bias evinced by this committee is sickening and a very scary example of how our so called democracy works.
@Ismise Máire: our so called democracy will get a say next year when the people of this country vote on the choice they want going forward
@Ismise Máire:
Yes indeed. A “democracy” that is funded by George Soros and his libtard minions. What a tragedy!
@Ray Muller: So ray you feel the people of Ireland are incapable of making there own decisions when the referendum is called? You think Irish people are uneducated and unable to look up your “facts” against expert facts and going to be sheep and vote repeal because some sort of dark force is trying to change our laws to show little bit empathy for our women or would you prefer we returned to the days of sending irish women and children to the work house like the one in Tuam.
@Celtic_Horizon: they are also intelligent enough to vote on various options and not be railroaded into a simple yes or no. Polls should that when specific questions are asked that views change. Making specific recommendations would be helpful with a recommendation to go back to the country to change would be useful
@lavbeer: And hopefully it won’t be a simple yes and no . Hopefully they will give us options to vote on as not everyone agrees to what we want after the 8th is repealed but that doesn’t mean should stand by while certain small minority are trying there hardest to spread miss information. As a father of daughter and son I am voting for their futures to have a choice. They may not agree with mine in the future and that is ok but at least what ever life throughs at them in the future they will have the help they need regardless of what they choose
Based on the factual information provided to the committee by experts, at least three members have moved from an antichoice stance to understanding that women need abortion access in this country. Many thanks to them for their open mindedness and consideration of the issue beyond black and white terms.
@DaisyChainsaw: “Factual” information supplied by the abortion industry which incidentally is completely contradicted by the dublin declaration which states ““As experienced practitioners and researchers in obstetrics and gynaecology, we affirm that direct abortion – the purposeful destruction of the unborn child – is not medically necessary to save the life of a woman.
We uphold that there is a fundamental difference between abortion, and necessary medical treatments that are carried out to save the life of the mother, even if such treatment results in the loss of life of her unborn child.
We confirm that the prohibition of abortion does not affect, in any way, the availability of optimal care to pregnant women.” and signed by over one thousand professional medical experts.
Sure pro abortionists can’t let the facts get in the way of expanding their profits from the destruction of innocent human life now can they?
@Ray Muller: That is just over 1000 signatures from around the WORLD what about the tens 1000′s that haven’t signed it from around the world puts it into bit more perspective
@Celtic_Horizon:These anti choice guys are a hoot :) They always seem to side with the minority of experts (1,000) against the 72,000 experts on the ACOG & the RCOG ..
Is it true that Colm O’Gorman of the 1 in 4 charity has started a new charity called 1 in 5, to remember the 1 in 5 human lives terminated by pregnancy in the UK?
Colm, how can you and your Amnesty colleagues turn a blind eye to such wholesale destruction of human life?
@Tom Burke: terminated by abortion of course doh
@Tom Burke: can you tell us some stories about all of those human “lives” ..That would be nice..
@Francis Mc Carthy: @Francis Mc Carthy: They dont have stories because they havent had a chance to speak for themselves. We snuff them out before they do.
Looking forward to Hildegardes contribution today so as to how to protect above 12 weeks. Politicians don’t like the constitution and people don’t trust politicians as the IW debacle showed or do we just accept laws from Kildare Street as they suit us? Options please otherwise this OC will have been a complete waste of money and time.
Stitch up.
What else is to be expected when a foreign funded minority is allowed to infect a nation’s democracy and stage this farce with a predetermined outcome. Hopefully there’s enough decent, intelligent Irish people left who will see through this contrived orchestrated deception and reject this pitiful attempt to legalise deliberately targeting and killing innocent human beings because their existence is inconvenient to another! Irish women and their children deserve better.
@Ray Muller: Irish women do indeed deserve better.They deserve the opportunity of ending their unwanted/wanted pregnancies in their own country..
@Ray Muller: Speaking of foreign interference… How’s the Vatican these days?
So many typos
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