Dail told 83 from Louth went to UK for abortions
LOUTH EMERGED AS SIXTH HIGHEST COUNTY SAYS HEALTH MINISTER
EIGHTY-THREE women from Louth travelled to the UK to have an abortion, Health Minister Simon Harris told the Dail last week.
As politicians considered the report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, Minister Harris listed the numbers of what he called ‘real women’ who had travelled to the UK for an abortion last year.
Louth emerged as the sixth highest in the country behind Dublin, Cork, Kildare, Galway and Meath.
Minister Harris said: ‘ These are not faceless women. It might be convenient for us sometimes to think that they are. They are our friends, neighbours, sisters, cousins, mothers, aunts, and wives. ‘
‘Each woman is dealing with her own personal situation and making what is a deeply difficult decision because this time around - let us be honest about this – this is not a decision or a procedure that anyone undertakes lightly.
‘Women agonise about it and consider every possibility for dealing with the particular crisis facing them, and sometimes they arrive at the conclusion that there is no other option for them but to terminate their pregnancy.
‘When they arrive at that difficult decision, the country we live in, which we hope has come a long way from the dark events that continue to haunt this Chamber, tells them to go and get their care elsewhere - go to another country or head off somewhere else.’
He revealed that of the 3,265 Irish women travelled to the UK in 2016, more than 1,200 were aged between 30 and 39; more than 1,500 were aged between 20 and 29; 255 were aged 40 or over; ten were girls under the age of 16; and 230 were teenagers.
More than half of the women who travelled were married, in a civil partnership, or in a relationship while 85% of them were between three and 12 weeks’ pregnant.
It is estimated that at least 170,000 Irish women have travelled to other countries for abortions since 1980.
Saving that his own views on the issue had changed after listening to women and doctors, he believed that they were ‘at the commencement of what I genuinely believe in time could be seen as an historic debate.’
Fine Gael TD Peter Fitzpatrick, who was a member of the Joint Committee on the Eight Amendment said he had found the experience ‘very testing and, I have to be honest, sometimes very troubling.’
He took the view that ‘ the committee spent most of its time simply undermining and attacking the eighth amendment and spent no time at all looking at the good the eighth amendment has done in saving lives.’
He said he found it was ‘ totally unacceptable’ that pro-abortion groups were invited to make representations at the committee but that ‘ not one person to represent the lives of children saved by the eighth amendment was asked to tell a story of hope against the odds and how the eighth amendment played a central role in the reason a child is alive today.’
‘I am saddened at the way some of the Members of the House have attacked the motivations of pro-life people in recent days. Some of the comments were truly appalling and were made without any justification,’ he continued.
He expressed concerns that if abortion becomes legal in Ireland, it would lead to a situation like England where one in five pregnancies end in abortion.
Having listened to evidence at the Committee as to how abortions are performed, he found it ‘frightening the way in which the gruesome and horrific procedure of abortion is being dressed up as something compassionate and liberal when every single abortion ends the life of a defenceless baby.’
He said he wanted to live in a country ‘ where every human being matters. If the eighth amendment is repealed, we will end up living in a very different country where our abortion rate will increase significantly and respect for life will diminish. The way to ensure this does not happen is to speak up for life now before it is too late.
Sinn Fein President and TD for Louth, Deputy Gerry Adams said: ‘I have my own position on abortion. As a legislator, I have no right to impose that view on anyone.
‘It is not for any of us here to cast judgment on anybody for doing what they feel they need to do. It is for women to make that judgment. I believe they are fully capable of doing so and are entitled to do so. Those who are opposed to abortion are entitled to their opinions. They are equally and fully entitled not to have terminations. Everyone has the right to choose. Those who subscribe to a particular faith can heed the guidance of their religious leaders if they so choose. My strongly held opinion is that it is not appropriate for anyone to foist their views on anyone else.’
He said that: ‘Sinn Féin accepts the need for abortion to be available where a woman’s life, health or mental health is at serious risk or in danger and in cases of rape or sexual abuse. This has been our policy for a long time.
He said that the party had recently discussed the issue of fatal foetal abnormality at an Ard-Fheis.
‘We listened to compassionate people explaining how they or their partners, sisters or friends decided to carry a fatal foetal abnormality to full term while others could not do so.
‘We changed our position accordingly. I think that is what we have to do. The first step we need to take is to allow women the right to make a choice on these deeply distressing matters. It is their business, it is their right and it is their choice. Sinn Féin will fully support the repeal of the eighth amendment.’
Meanwhile Fianna Fail’s Deputy Declan Breathnach has told the press that he disagrees with party leader Micheal Martin, who last week spoke of his support for removing the 8th Amendment.
Describing himself as ‘strongly Pro Life’, Deputy Breathnach said he had spent time teaching children with disabilities, and that those children had been “given the opportunity to live”.
He expressed disappointment that the parliamentary party had not been told about the leader’s change of heart first. ‘I am getting a lot of texts and emails saying the party leader has to resign, the party leader can’t lead anymore. But this is a conscience issue, and we have to respect that Micheál Martin changed his view.’ Mr Martin was entitled to do so, he said, adding that ‘80 per cent of the parliamentary party’ have a different view to the leader.