Enda opens up rift with Labour over abortion
ENDA Kenny set up a hurdle to renewal of government with Labour after the next election, when he expressed strong doubts about repealing the pro-life constitutional amendment on abortion.
He rejected scrapping the controversial 1983 clause, which guarantees the equal right to life of the mother and the unborn, and which some doctors are saying has had a ‘chilling effect’ on clinical practice.
The Taoiseach declared at the conclusion of his party’s two-day think-in in Adare, Co Limerick: ‘I do not favour abortion on demand and I have no intention of abolishing the Eighth Amendment without considering what it might be that might replace it.
‘And that means – more than any other sensitive issue – I am quite prepared to listen to people who have contributions to make in that regard.’
The Taoiseach added: ‘Believe me, to commit to abolishing the Eighth Amendment without consideration of what you might do instead is not on my radar. No, I am not committing to any referendum.’
When pushed on whether Fine Gael would commit to a referendum after the next
‘Labour policy on this area is very clear’
election, Mr Kenny said: ‘No, I am not committing to any referendum.’
He added: ‘Fine Gael, in the preparation of its own programme, will consider this matter very carefully along with a number of other sensitive issues as well.’
Mr Kenny’s conservative stance puts him at odds with Tánaiste and Labour Party leader Joan Burton, who has already said that the Amendment should be scrapped.
A repeal referendum is expected to be included in Labour’s election manifesto.
Labour Party Senator Ivana Bacik said yesterday she was disappointed with the attitude adopted by the Taoiseach.
She said: ‘ Labour policy on this area is very clear. At our party conference in Killarney in February we unanimously adopted a report from the Labour Women’s Commission which called for the Eighth Amendment, also known as Article 40.3.3., to be scrapped in its entirely and taken out of the Constitution.
‘We would then institute legislation allowing for abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormality, rape or incest, and a real and substantial threat to the health of the woman.’
Ms Bacik said the threat to the health of the woman could be in a case of ectopic pregnancy, or where the mother had advanced cancer and the continuation of the pregnancy ‘would reduce her life expectancy, or would eventually take her life – without it being an imminent threat to her life.’
Labour is to publish its proposed legislation before Christmas. ‘ A proposal to repeal the Eighth Amendment will be in the Labour election manifesto as it is now party policy,’ she added.
Mr Kenny’s comments al s o prompted a backlash from a range of groups last night.
The Green Party accused the Taoiseach of burying his head in the sand. Its candidate for Cork South Central, Lorna Bogue, accused the Taoiseach of being completely out of touch with women in Ireland.
‘The Taoiseach’s comments on the Eighth Amendment show his complete lack of understanding on the issue. The comments are made as if Irish women don’t already have abortions. They do. The situation at present is a classic Irish solution for an Irish problem – we export women seeking abortions to the UK and pretend it doesn’t happen.
‘The reality couldn’t be further from the truth. At present, ten Irish women t r avel to t he UK f or abortions every day.’
Sinn Féin has already said it is backing the repeal of the Eighth Amendment, while Fianna Fáil said its TDs will be free to vote in accordance with their conscience.
Meanwhile an ‘Artists Campaign to Repeal the Eighth Amendment’ is holding a press conference on Tuesday in Dublin.
Among the artists who have signed a petition calling for its repeal are John Banville, Edna O’Brien, Christy Moore, Marian Keyes, Conor McPherson, Dorothy Cross, Julia O’Faoláin, Dónal Lunny, Anne Enright, Colm Tóibín, Cillian Murphy, Pauline Bewick, William Trevor, Jennifer Johnston, Enda Walsh, Olwen Fouéré, Camille Souter, Neil Jordan and 220 other artists.
In June a UN committee called on Ireland to hold a referendum on abortion. The Economic and Social Council said it was concerned at Ireland’s ‘highly restrictive legislation’ and how it is enforced.
It was ‘particularly concerned at the criminalisation of abortion, including in the cases of rape and incest and of risk to the health of a pregnant woman’.
However, Cora Sherlock of the Pro-Life Campaign criticised the UN call: ‘As the committee members will be aware, abortion is the ultimate discrimination, targeting the right to life of the unborn, the most vulnerable in our society.’