Eighth Amendment Committee Votes For Full Repeal
The Eighth Amendment committee has finally reached a conclusion after months of deliberations.
At lunchtime today 14 TDs voted on the recommendation to remove the Eighth Amendment with no substitute text replacing the text as it now stands. The committee members who voted yes include Claire Daly, Senator Lynn Ruane and Jan O' Sullivan and the no sided included Ronan Mullen who repeatedly discredits the process as in favour of 'pro-choice beliefs'.
Browne N
Chambers Y
Daly Y
Durkan Y
Fitzpatrick N
Kelleher Y
McGrath N
Murphy Y
Naughten N
O'Brien Y
O'Connell Y
O'Reilly Y
O'Sullivan Y
Rabbitte N
Smith YButtimer Y
Gavan Y
Mullen N
O'Sullivan Y
Ruane YNoone abstains
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) December 13, 2017
According to the Journals live blog, Kate O’Connell is proposing how new legislation should look and that it should factor in a number of areas in relation to women's health:
That the Committee recommend that termination of pregnancy be lawful, without gestational limit, where the life or health of the woman is at risk and that a distinction should not be drawn between the physical and mental health of the woman.
Lynn Ruane supports O’Connell’s motion but is concerned that doesn’t include socio-economic grounds as a reason for abortion and Fine Gaels Jerry Buttimer also supports O'Connell's motion and believes that the Eighth Amendment has damaged medical practice in Ireland.
In regards to women's health during at-risk pregnancies, Fine Gael TD Bernard Durkan says: “In the interest of health and safety it is better that action can be taken sooner than later.” Mullen believes there's no evidence that abortions help women's mental health.