I trust women
Varadkar calls for Yes vote as he launches FG campaign
THE Taoiseach has called for compassion and trust to replace the Eighth Amendment as Fine Gael launched its campaign for a Yes vote in next month’s abortion referendum.
Leo Varadkar was joined by party colleagues at the media event in Dublin city yesterday, but there were some notable absentees.
If the referendum is passed ‘there will not be unrestricted abortion’, the Taoiseach said, adding that terminations after 12 weeks of pregnancy would be illegal except in specific circumstances.
Mr Varadkar said he would be voting Yes because ‘I trust women and I trust doctors’.
Recalling the infamous ‘Hello Divorce Goodbye Daddy’ poster in the 1985 divorce referendum, he said: ‘Saying hello to divorce did not mean bye-bye Daddy. I believe we should trust women today.’
‘I’m a Catholic Mass-goer whose faith is important’
‘I am calling for a Yes vote because I trust women. I want us to be able to look women in the eye when for too long we have looked away.
‘The party I lead is a big tent; there will be no whip, no merits or demerits, just freedom of conscience.’
Health Minister Simon Harris said the referendum planned to address ‘the dark and difficult day for women where at least nine Irish women will travel abroad and at least three will take the abortion pill alone and in fear.’
Fine Gael campaign co-ordinator Josepha Madigan said: ‘I am a Catholic who attends Mass and whose faith is very important.’
But, she warned: ‘The Eighth has proven to be nothing but a constitutional strait-jacket for doctors and for women in crisis pregnancies. It is medieval in its impact.’
Yesterday’s launch in the fashionable Smock Alley venue was expected to re-energise the campaign and galvanise party members on one common stance.
Some 30 Fine Gael Cabinet ministers, junior ministers, senators, TDs and MEPs have backed the Yes campaign, and more representatives who have not declared their intentions are expected to swing to the Yes side in the coming weeks.
An invitation went out to all members of the 69-strong parliamentary party but just 14 TDs and senators turned up.
Just seven of the eleven Fine Gael senior ministers were present.
A spokesman for Fine Gael told the MoS last night that it was primarily an event for the media.
In attendance were ministers Richard Bruton, Eoghan Murphy, Charlie Flanagan, Regina Doherty, Josepha Madigan, Paschal Donohoe and Simon Harris.
Tánaiste Simon Coveney did not attend but appeared on a campaign video, in which he spoke in favour of repeal.
There was no attendance by ministers Michael Creed, Heather Humphreys and Michael Ring, and not one junior minister attended.
Thirteen of the party’s 15 ministers of State have either said they are opposing the referendum or have reserved their positions.
Those who are unequivocal No voters include Chief Whip Joe McHugh, Andrew Doyle, Pat Breen, Ciaran Cannon and close Varadkar political confidantes John Paul Phelan, Michael D’Arcy and Patrick O’Donovan.
Undeclared ministers include Paul Kehoe, Damien English, Brendan Griffin, David Stanton, Catherine Byrne and Seán Kyne.
Just one Senator, Catherine Noone, the chairwoman of the Repeal the Eighth Committee was present.
Fourteen of the party’s 19 senators have yet to declare their position or are declared No voters.
Those who are clear Nos are Tim Lombard, John O’Mahony, Paul Coughlan and Maura Hopkins.
Undeclared senators include Paudie Coffey, Ray Butler, Colm Burke Gabrielle Mc Fadden, Frank Feighan James Reilly, Kieran O’Donnell, Maria Byrne, Michelle Mulherin and Paddy Burke.
The TDs who attended were almost exclusively Dublin andLeinster based.
They included Colm Brophy, Noel Rock and former justice minister Frances Fitzgerald.
Other TDs present were Hildegarde Naughton, Fergus O’Dowd, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy and Bernard Durkan.
To date, 11 of the party’s backbenchers have yet to declare their support for terminations up to 12 weeks.
These are Tony McLoughlin, Seán Barrett, John Deasy, Joe Carey, Martin Heydon, the party Chairman, Pat Deering, Peter Burke and most notably Enda Kenny, Michael Noonan and Frances Fitzgerald.
So far, Sean Barrett and Tony McLoughlin are the only unequivocal No voters.
No MEPs attended the launch.
Not one junior minister attended the launch