Politicians seem to have made up their minds on Eighth Amendment

SIR, It is utterly heartbreaking and shameful that our politicians seem to have already made up their minds about repealing the Eighth Amendment. The members of the Oireachtas Committee have already voted not to keep the Eighth, without even listening to the wonderful outcomes that the Eighth has had on the families it has protected. This Committee seems completely one-sided. It might as well have been a repeat of the Citizens Assembly for all the new light it has shed on the issue.

Dr.Veronica O’Keane was invited to present before the Committee as someone who was neutral on the issue of abortion. Yet at the Citizens’ Assembly she was participating as part of the pro-choice group, Doctors for Choice. The Committee had approximately 24 pro-choice guests and four pro-life speakers. I think we, the public deserve better. This is life and death we are talking about. We are entitled to hear the other side’s story.

The Eighth Amendment has done fantastic things for families. Families have stated their children are safe and alive literally because of it. Sadly no one is listening, especially the people that should be paying the most attention. If this is democracy I don’t know what a dictatorship looks like.

Sincerely, Frances Kelleher, Killarney.