What do campaigners think of the decisions?

Activists on both sides of the abortion debate have their say here

PRO-LIFE David Quinn, director of the Iona Institute

‘ALLOWING for abortion for any reason in the first 12 weeks is almost entirely basing abortion on demand. We can’t pretend it’s for life reasons, we can’t pretend it’s for health reasons anymore, this is abortion for any reason whatsoever. ‘The question is whether the Irish people will vote in favour of something like that. I think Irish people would vote for a limited change on abortion, but I’m not sure they’d vote for that and I’m not sure they would vote for removing the right to life completely from the constitution and leaving that completely up to the Oireachtas.

‘So we might have a case of over-reach by the committee and by the Oireachtas if they follow the recommendation of the committee. I’m in favour of keeping the Eighth because I think it protects the life of both the unborn and the mother, and I think our current law is just and it’s a better situation than anything being proposed.

‘This debate is no longer going to be about the hard cases. It’s quite clear that this has moved way beyond the hard cases because obviously looking for any reason up to 12 weeks has gone far, far beyond the hard cases.

‘If this was about the hard cases only, it would pass in a canter at referendum time. I don’t agree with abortion for lifelimiting fatal foetal abnormality or whatever term you want to use, because I believe that the child has the right to whatever life it has, even if that lifespan is two weeks or two hours, but I understand why people can be swayed by the hard cases. This will not be about the hard cases – this is going to be about basically social abortion.’

Niamh Uí Bhriain of the Life Institute

‘THE Life Institute has described the Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment, with a few honourable exceptions, “have deliberately ignored the humanity of the preborn child and the full evidence about abortion”, and vowed to ensure that the “extreme and cruel recommendations of the Committee would be rejected by the people”.

‘This committee was rigged to push abortion from the beginning, and acted like a lynch mob in refusing the pre-born child any trial, any voice, or any fair representation before passing a death sentence on a helpless and vulnerable victim.

‘With the exception of three representatives, this committee showed no interest in hearing what abortion meant for the baby, or in asking any hard questions of the stream of pro-abortion witnesses handpicked to give evidence supporting abortion, including several abortionists. The baby, who is recognised as a human being under our Constitution, was barely mentioned during the hearings, and now this rigged committee is proposing that pre-born children can be put to death for any reason whatsoever, exactly the kind of cruel, unreasoned behaviour you would expect from a lynch mob.

‘They went into this process determined to repeal the right-to-life of pre-born babies and their vote today is shocking but entirely unsurprising.’

Ms Uí Bhriain also said that the Fianna Fáil members of the committee had betrayed their own grassroots and should pay the price for that betrayal.

‘At Fianna Fáil’s last Ard Fheis, 90% of its members voted against abortion, yet we are now looking at the Fianna Fáil members of the committee proposing that abortion be legalised without restriction, something that should be brought to the attention of their constituents,’ she added.

Cora Sherlock, Pro-Life Campaign spokeswoman

‘WE see what happened today as a tragic step backwards for our society rather than a step forward.

‘Taking 12 weeks as the period for abortions to take place in any circumstances seems to have been just plucked out of the air. ‘There was no discussion in relation to this. A baby has a heartbeat in the womb before nine weeks and after six weeks there is facial development.

‘They didn’t acknowledge that today or during the process. It is extremely radical and quite shocking.

‘The committee was completely biased as throughout the process they ignored the baby’s humanity in the womb – the baby was airbrushed out of the discussion, so I am not surprised by today’s outcome.

‘It is very disappointing that the best our politicians can offer families who are told their child have a severe disability in the womb is a termination. ‘The time limits are irrelevant. ‘It is disturbing that families are being told that because their baby is unwell they should have a termination.’

Richard Greene, Coir

‘I AM absolutely devastated. We are not a democracy – this is a directive from the EU. We are being ignored. We have marched to stop this, the rights of the unborn child and the equal rights of the mother are being ignored. I think this is a terrible day. I think all the TDs who voted for this are following those in Brussels and I feel particularly let down by Sinn Féin. It is appalling, it is a very sad day.’

PRO-CHOICE Michael Kerrigan, president, Union of Students in Ireland

‘WE welcome the outcomes from the meetings of the Committee today as a positive step. We’re glad to see the voices of students heard as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar remarked his intentions to hold a referendum on the Eighth Amendment in May. This is down to pressure by students and young people to have their say.

‘I would like to thank the approach taken by most members of the committee. Discussion and questions showed compassion and care towards women, and we ask this same respect is shown once the report is debated in the Dáil.’

Helen Guinane, spokeswoman, Parents for Choice

‘IT gives us great hope to see that when people are given the opportunity to examine this issue, they support the need for repeal of the Eighth amendment and for abortion to be accessible. As parents, we know these recommendations are compassionate and logical.

‘However, we would strongly urge the Government to implement the full recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly at a minimum, in order to ensure no pregnant person falls through the cracks and becomes another letter of the alphabet in our shameful history of abandoning pregnant women like X, C, D and so many others.’

Dr Peter Boylan, Former Master of Holles Street Hospital,

‘IF we [allow unrestricted abortions up to the 12-week point] it puts us in line with all the rest of Europe in that women wouldn’t have to travel for terminations. It would remove from the Constitution that women can travel for terminations – that hypocrisy would be removed from the Constitution. With fatal foetal abnormalities it doesn’t matter when delivery happens as the baby is going to die.

‘Fatal foetal abnormalities are usually detected early but with the lack of ultrasound facilities in the country a lot of abnormalities are diagnosed late. In cases of fatal foetal abnormalities the baby is going to die when delivered be that at 26 weeks, 42 weeks, or 44 weeks.’

Jane Donnelly, Atheist Ireland

‘WE are members of the coalition to repeal the Eighth Amendment. We were the only group at the citizen’s convention, we were on the panel with the Catholic Church. Whatever the decision that comes out, it should be based on human rights – a decision made between a woman and her medical doctor and not a religious decision.’

Dr Mary Favier, Doctors for Choice

‘WHEN people have time to hear from experts and consider their opinions they almost always end up supporting medical evidence and supporting the provision of abortion services locally.

‘Abortion in the case of significant foetal abnormality should not be time limited. This is not best medical practice. These cases are rare but traumatic. Many of these women do not learn of the problem until a scan at 20 to 22 weeks. To limit the time to access service to 22 weeks will cause distress and result in women continuing to travel to the UK for assistance.’

Liam Herrick, Irish Council for Civil Liberties

‘A MATTER of reproductive healthcare, such as access to abortion care, has no place in the Constitution and should be considered a private matter between a woman and her doctor. International experience shows that, where access to abortion is legislated for in a restrictive way, it frequently causes harm to health and serious distress to people seeking to access the service.’

Ailbhe Smyth, Coalition to Repeal Eighth Amendment

‘WHILE it is good to see the Committee recommend provision to protect women’s health and [show] a compassionate approach to women who face a fatal foetal anomaly, failure to endorse socio-economic provision is a missed chance to provide extra protection for vulnerable women.’