SF border crisis over 12-week abortion limit

SINN Féin is having big difficulties convincing members in northern and border areas to back abortion without restriction up to 12 weeks, senior party figures told the Irish Mail on Sunday last night.

The all-island party is currently not in favour of allowing abortion without restrictions during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy – the policy that will be put before the Dáil by the Government if the referendum passes.

The development means it is not yet clear, in the event of the Eighth Amendment being repealed, if there would be enough subsequent Dáil support for the Government’s favoured legislative approach.

Fine Gael is split on the issue – with Tánaiste Simon Coveney indicating he can’t support the cross party Eighth Amendment Oireachtas Committee’s proposals.

There is also a free vote in place for the largely pro-life Fianna Fáil, meaning, according to estimates, the Government will need the support of Sinn Féin TDs to pass its post-referendum legislation.

Such uncertainty has already been pointed to by Repeal opponents as a reason for wavering voters not to trust politicians – and vote against the removal of the constitutional ban on abortion.

Sinn Féin TDs said they believe it is ‘logistically impossible’ for the party to hold a special ard fheis to vote on an agreed party line before the May 25 referendum date.

Senior Sinn Féin sources cited the fact that the party has had two ard fheiseanna in four months and it would be ‘unfair’ to ‘blag’ members into travelling to another.

Nevertheless, the party’s ard comhairle will meet soon to discuss the ard fheis as Sinn Féin rules require it to hold one to update party policy, which currently favours repeal of the Eighth and legislation that will abortion on the grounds of risk to life, suicide, rape and fatal foetal abnormality.

Ministers last night admitted they were ‘spooked’ by the lack of certainty. ‘The one thing we had counted on in this campaign was that Sinn Féin would have all its members voting en masse for the Government proposal to back repeal,’ said one.

‘But it looks like they’re having trouble with it.’

‘Ministers are spooked by the lack of certainty’