Referendum result is not a ‘yes’ to abortion on demand

SIR, The lopsided vote in the referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment to our Constitution is being hailed as a landslide victory for the Yes campaign. In naked political terms, that assessment is correct. But not everything is political. In pure geographical terms, I never knew a landslide that did not cause serious damage to the people and land it hits.

There is considerable (and long awaited) relief now that women who become impregnated in the cases of rape or incest will soon have an option to terminate that unwanted pregnancy without travelling to another country to do so. It is likely that prospective legislation will also afford women with a fatal fetal abnormality the same option. And so it should be.

Let’s not forget, though, that our Minister for Health Simon Harris, has spoken in favour of a liberal abortion regime. Therein lies the damage of this heralded “landslide”.

I think there is no reason to believe that Minister Harris will abandon the call for unrestricted abortions up to and including the 12th week of pregnancy. He may well call it “the will of the people”.

However, he cannot call it so because he has no evidence to make the case that the voters were in favour of “abortion on demand” when they voted to repeal the Eighth Amendment. Had the politicians been specific about what exactly repealing the Eighth Amendment would do, the result of the vote would have been vastly different. I put it to you that the Irish voters do not want “abortion on demand” in this country and the damage from this “landslide” will take years to repair.

Baptising it the “will of the people” does not make it so.

Sincerely, Tom Cahill, Ballinskelligs.