SF to hold internal abortion debate... 3 weeks after vote
SINN Féin’s internal wrangling over the abortion issue took another twist yesterday when the party said it would hold an ard fheis – three weeks after the proposed referendum date – to decide its position on term limits.
The party’s current position is to allow for abortions only in cases of rape, incest and fatal foetal abnormalities.
Leader Mary Lou McDonald and several of the party’s front bench have expressed personal support for abortion without restriction up to 12 weeks. However, it has been predicted that any effort to change the policy could be opposed by more conservative elements in the party.
Former Northern Ireland Assembly member Francie Brolly – father of GAA pundit Joe – resigned from the party earlier this year in protest at its abortion policy. Mr Brolly said he was opposed to abortion in any circumstance.
Under Sinn Féin rules, its policies can only be changed by a party ard fheis.
Yesterday, the party’s Ard Comhairle laid down a motion outlining why it believes policy should be changed.
At the meeting of the Ard Comhairle at Cassidy’s Hotel in Dublin, it was decided the ard fheis would be held in Belfast on June 15 and 16.
The Government hopes to hold the abortion ballot on May 25.
The June ard fheis will involve a vote on whether to bring the party’s policy into line with the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on abortion – to allow unrestricted access up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Ms McDonald yesterday appeared frustrated that the decision to hold the ard fheis after the referendum gave rise to questions about the party’s commitment to securing a Yes vote. She spoke about the need to repeal the Eighth Amendment, saying: ‘Let’s get one thing clear: we cannot tolerate the status quo. We cannot have a situation where you have a provision of the Constitution of this land that is injurious to women.’
She added: ‘The implications of it [the Eighth] have played out very graphically over decades in what I would describe as an alphabet soup of human misery.’
But although Sinn Féin has vowed to ‘campaign passionately’ in favour of repeal, it will not be able to throw its support behind the recommendations of the Oireachtas committee as it is hamstrung by party procedures.
Ms McDonald said the party will have a debate and discussion with the grassroots ‘to demonstrate why it is necessary to back legislation that would allow doctors to perform their duties in a free manner, and legislation to protect women’s health and women’s lives’.
She added: ‘I’m saying now very clearly, even before we officially launch our repeal campaign, that the Sinn Féin leadership will seek sanction from our ard fheis to support legislation in line with the Committee findings.’
The Sinn Féin leader also warned about politicians and commentators getting caught up in the minutiae of legislation which she said would be meaningless if the Eighth Amendment was not repealed. She said: ‘Our first port of call is to repeal the Eighth Amendment, to make sure that never ever again [can] those circumstances arise. Of course, then we need a robust legislative framework, and of course we need to have a discussion around it, but let’s not go putting the cart before the horse.’
‘Alphabet soup of human misery’