New laws too extreme - Fitzpatrick

DUNDALK TD Peter Fitzpatrick has hit out at proposed new abortion laws as ‘ too extreme.’

With the government working to introduce the new legislation in early 2019, Deputy Fitzpatrick outlined his ongoing opposition in a Dail debate.

The Independent TD said that the puvblic had voted to remove the Eighth Amendment in the referendum earlier this year, but added ‘ They did not vote for the extreme law the Government is now introducing.’

‘During the referendum campaign, Simon Harris and other government ministers kept presenting the referendum proposal as a proposal that would only introduce abortion in limited circumstances.’

“There was very little discussion on how extreme the proposal was and the fact that it allows abortion unrestricted in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

He added: ‘In most countries, a reason has to be given such as a health reason, but not in Ireland under this new law.

‘I’m not trying to rerun the referendum campaign but it is important to point some of these things out because I genuinely believe the public were misled. It may take time for people to see that but from my knowledge of what has happened; the law coming in is very, very extreme.’

‘I accept the referendum result and so do my colleagues in the Dáil who also proposed amendments to the abortion bill.

‘ The reason we proposed amendments was to make the law a little bit more respectful and dignified towards the unborn babies who are going to be aborted or who have just been aborted, said Deputy Fitzpatrick.’

He added: ‘I would never have opposed the referendum if I thought that doing so would put women’s lives at risk but I know the stance I took didn’t.’

With the Eighth Amendment now gone, unborn babies have no Constitutional protection. That left the door open to the Government to bring in such a radical and extreme law.’