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THE REPORT OF the expert group on abortion is expected to be published later today after Health Minister James Reilly brings it to Cabinet this morning.
The much-delayed and heavily-leaked report was delivered to the Minister earlier this month and copies have also been given to the Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore.
It deals with how to implement the European Court of Human Rights ruling in the case of A, B, and C versus Ireland in 2010 which found that there is a gap in the theory and implementation of the right to a lawful abortion in Ireland, a right given under the 1992 Supreme Court X Case ruling.
This ruling provided for abortion for women when their lives are in danger, including from the risk of suicide. No legislation has ever been passed to give effect to this ruling.
The report will be discussed at Cabinet today before it is published by the government but its content has been heavily leaked to the media in recent days with much of what it says now in the public domain.
The report sets out the options to deal with the ECHR ruling including the introduction of non-statutory guidelines, statutory regulations, legislation only or legislation plus regulations.
The report appears to come down in favour of the final option, legislation plus regulations, saying that this would fulfil the requirements of the ECHR ruling.
Yesterday Taoiseach Enda Kenny ruled out the possibility of Fine Gael TDs been given a free vote in a vote on any legislation that is introduced following a call from one junior minister, Brian Hayes.
There is said to be considerable doubt among a number of Fine Gael backbenchers about allowing for abortion in Ireland in the case of risk of suicide, with some believing this could lead to abortion on demand.
Kenny did tell reporters in Wales during a meeting of the British-Irish Council yesterday that his government would deal with the report and the issues it raises “as soon as is practicable to do so”.
Meanwhile the Dáil will tonight debate a private members’ bill being brought forward by United Left Alliance TD Clare Daly that would legislate for the X Case.
A similar bill was defeated by the government last April but Daly has said she has since made the changes that were outlined by Reilly in the Dáil at the time and the bill will be voted on tomorrow.
It is almost certain that the proposed legislation will be defeated by the government majority with the Health Minister instead likely to outline plans the government has to bring forward its own measures.
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I hate that phrase “abortion on demand”. It’s not like a TV service. It’s a medical option to be used in the most dire of circumstances, but it should be treated as such: an option.
In my mind the term is also a piece of propaganda put out by the pro-life side and adopted en masse by the Irish media.
Even the term ‘pro-life’ is a piece of propaganda- it infers the pro-choice side are somehow ‘anti-life’.
John , maybe they should just be rebranded as ” anti-choice “.
Anti Choice: Not being able to take someone else life… Sweet logic Rory x
John
The term abortion on demand suggests few restrictions on the population having access to such services. In Canada where I lived for many years the most common reason for abortion was contraception as an extremely high proportion of women availing of the service did so on more than three occasions.
This is horrific. I voted FG because I thought they were a viable alternative to the catholic fundamentalist party FF. I am for the first time in my life considering SF – Enda cop on to yourself and allow a free vote. Abortion is too sensitive an issue to be dictated by the whip system
A viable alternative. I think I believed in that too, once.
John, this has nothing to do with any form of fundamentalism. It now seems that this issue will be now addressed in the proper once and for all… If there was a ref in the morning on abortion laws that exist in UK to be the same here then i doubt very much that would be passed…(Up to 20 weeks). As for SF, they have dodged this very issue in the North for years…
Btw…I dont believe any personm who voted FG would ever vote SF..
Declan, you may be right but it’s only a matter of time because the hard core Catholics are a dying breed, the same as in every other western democracy.
Typical. Instead of allowing fg members vote freely their party will force them to toe party line or else lose party whip. Democracy My Arse, obviously this draconian party has learned nothing from the past few weeks ?
They’ve really nailed their colours to the mast these past weeks. Cowards. They’ll do everything possible to avoid legislating on this, because they know ANY legislation will lead to more terminations performed in Ireland. They cannot seem to accept that.
I dont believe that for a second. Im certain that legislation will follow to clear up this mess. You forget that the expert group were in progress ever before the case in Galway. Does that not suggest that the Goverment were already looking at addressing this issue.
It’s no surprise since the whip system was invented by Irish parties some 120 years ago.
@declan No, it does not suggest anything of the kind. It suggests that having been forced by the European Court of Human Rights to look at the issue, they deferred doing anything by setting up yet another group.
From what I’ve seen the outcome of that group is to state the blindingly obvious, a set of options that anyone with a titter of wit could have compiled in an afternoon, so they effectively managed to defer doing anything for a year.
And remember, the great leader Enda is on record as saying that it wasn’t a priority and they didn’t plan to do a thing.
Katie…SAy what you like but in less than 2 years in office, the legislation will be introduced. So what do you want?? The last Goverment were in power for 13 years and nothing happened…
Besides I certainly believe that the majority of people in Ireland do not want abortion on demand and if it went to a vote it would be defeated.
Simon Power , the first reference to a parliamentary whip is 1772 , in England. Just google it.
@Declan If they do it will be only because they will be forced to and at no point did I commend the previous or any government in the last 20 years for their action on this. Couldn’t have, there was no action.
I have faith in the compassion of the Irish electorate and believe that if we were asked to vote on legalising abortion in cases where the mother is at risk of death (including from suicide), where the pregnancy presents a serious risk to the health of the mother, where the foetus is not viable or in cases of rape, then we would vote yes. Possibly not by a huge margin but yes nonetheless.
The 1983 amendment was so wrong-headed, restrictive and dismissive of the value of women’s life, health and freedom that it will at some point have to be removed, so we will have such a vote and I hope it will be sooner rather than later. Bear in mind that no person in Ireland aged under 46 has ever been asked for their opinion on this. Entirely different electorate will be voting the next time.
Labour are the only party with a consistent policy on this issue. They need to stick to it now.
I have it on good authority that the media have already leaked the report to the TDs.
only ireland do people get paid to debate on things over and over again the goverment had 20 years to put the x case into action but no they choose to debate it again bring in more expert reports . it doesnt take them too long to debate how much to pay themselfs or how much to give the banks . im sick of this goverment playing party politics with my life i just wish they would get up off their bums and show the people they are capable of running a country
I wonder will Fine Gael reveal the secrecy they have been keeping over the much respected Dr Ailis Ni Riain and why she resigned from the group that are providing this report?
They have until yesterday being keeping themselves quiet over why she left!
Another conspiracy theory no doubt…Give me strength…Go join your man from the Corrs in the corner…
No theories – actual stage goings on!
…And more silence from guess who!
* …actual strange goings on!
Then again – this is Fine Gael!
Nothing with them is straight forward, trustworthy or transparent.
I love to give Reilly a shave maybe all the hair on his face is clouding his judgement .
yeah our health minister doesnt look too healthy either.
“There is said to be considerable doubt among a number of Fine Gael backbenchers about allowing for abortion in Ireland in the case of risk of suicide, with some believing this could lead to abortion on demand.”
We have “abortion on demand”, it’s just the British do it for us. What a nauseating bunch of hand ringing moronic cowardly hypocrites are in the Dail.
See what I mean? More people needlessly highlighting people’s expertise.
Well if here is anything to go by, we all are.
Can everyone please stop calling everyone experts, both here and in the news. It’s getting really annoying. Sound.
We should all listen to Ronan. He’s an expert.
have your say