Three quarters of Cabinet will campaign for repeal

AT least three quarters of the Cabinet have indicated they will actively campaign in favour of repealing the Eighth Amendment.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste Simon Coveney, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan and Arts Minister Josepha Madigan will all join Health Minister Simon Harris in publicly advocating a Yes vote on Article 40.3.3.

Education Minister Richard Bruton, Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty, Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy and Agriculture Minister Michael Creed have also indicated they with campaign for repeal.

It comes as the Dáil today begins to debate the legislation to hold the referendum, with Tánaiste Mr Coveney – who had expressed doubts on the issue in the past – backing the Government firmly in the Dáil yesterday. Standing in for the Taoiseach on Leaders’ Questions, Mr Coveney said: ‘We are proceeding with the necessary legislation and putting the necessary structures in place to ensure this referendum can be held before the end of May.’

When asked if Business Minister Heather Humphreys plans to actively campaign in favour of the referendum, a spokeswoman said Ms Humphreys ‘supports a repeal of the Eighth Amendment but is still considering everything else’.

The remaining Cabinet members were contacted by the Mail last night and asked for their position but had not replied at time of going to print. Mr Harris said: ‘The referendum question will be to repeal Article 40.3.3 in its entirety and to replace it with the wording that we have already published, the 13 words that would go into the Constitution that would make it clear that provision may be made in law for the regulation of termination of pregnancy.’

He said that he intends to ‘campaign vigorously’, adding that he also hopes ‘we have an opportunity to hear from doctors and women in relation to how best to address this issue’.

When asked if he was sure there was enough time to facilitate a referendum at the end of May, given the Easter holidays and St Patrick’s Day recess of the Dáil next week, Mr Harris reiterated his belief that a ‘May referendum date is achievable’.

Asked about the possibility of a filibuster – endless talking by opponents – to thwart the measure, Mr Harris said: ‘We will require the cooperation of all members of the Oireachtas.

‘I am very conscious that every party leader, to the best of my knowledge, has made it clear they want to facilitate a May referen- dum date.’ The Minister said there was ‘another aspect’ to the decision reached by the Government yesterday which will see him return at the end of the month with a number of proposals on how to support women in crisis pregnancy situations, and how to improve access to counselling services and contraception, along with better sex education.’

He said the upcoming campaign should focus on the question of repeal and not the legislation that would come into place if there is a Yes vote.

‘I expect people will ask the question: “if I vote Yes, what will that mean?” he said.

‘But equally, I hope people will ask, “if I vote No, what does that mean?”

‘If you vote No, as is your entitlement, and the Eighth Amendment remains in the Constitution, we will not be able to address issues in relation to women who have had fatal foetal abnormalities in their pregnancy, to women and girls who have been raped and abused in this country, to the fact that our daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, work colleagues, could be using the abortion pill without any medical supervision and the medical risk that we know exists.’ emmajane.hade@dailymail.ie