Campaign was respectful and civil on both sides of the debate
Approximately a quarter of County Wicklow voters cast a ‘no’ vote’ last weekend. While the county overwhelmingly returned a resounding ‘yes’ to repealing the eighth amendment, what of the concerns of those against?
‘I met a lot of no voters canvassing around Wicklow,’ said Deputy Stephen Donnelly at the count centre last Saturday morning. ‘ They held their convictions very dear and they held them very strongly.
‘Every conversation I had with a no voter was very respectful,on both sides. We listened to each other. The message I tried to get across to men and women around Wicklow who were thinking of voting no, was that we’re not being asked if we’re comfortable with abortion. Nobody is comfortable with abortion. I’m not comfortable with abortion. I’ve never met anybody who is.
‘A lot of people were voting no because they, for very genuine reasons, feel very uncomfortable with abortion. What I would say to those people is, I hear you and I respect that.
‘What we were voting on was taking care of our own people in our own country. What we now need to do is wrap all the supports possible around women in crisis pregnancy. My hope is that the rate would go down.’
Deputy Donnelly spoke about the idea of the first interaction with a medical professional being in England, rather than a woman’s own GP.
‘I’ve said this to some of the undecideds in Greystones. If it was your daughter, where would you like her to have her first touch-point with professional care?
‘I hope that this now will de-stigmatise what’s been going on and we can talk about it.
‘ Today is a sombre day,’ he said. ‘Celebrations are quiet, as they should be. This is a very difficult issue. I think yes and no voters in Wicklow deserve great credit for the way this has been conducted.’
As the morning drew on, it became more apparent that exit polls were correct and Wicklow was returning a resounding ‘yes’.
‘My reaction is one of relief,’ said Deputy Donnelly. ‘It’s been the most personal and important campaign for so many women and men around the country. I’m very proud to be Irish today.
‘Over the course of the campaign, I spoke to a lot of women who dealt with crisis pregnancies, fatal foetal abnormality. The idea that Ireland would today have said “keep going to England, we’re not going to care for you here” just would not have been a good day to wake up to.
‘We can finally step up to our responsibilities and take care of women here,’ he said.
Deputy Donnelly said that the overwhelming endorsement sends out a message to woman that they will be cared for in their own country. ‘And I think it will make the passage of the legislation easier.’
As opposition health spokesman, the next few months will be tied up in working on the legislation with Minister for Health Simon Harris and Louise O’Reilly from Sinn Féin.