21.02.2011 Pro Life Campaign receives official statement from Fianna Fáil

Official Statement from Fianna Fáil to the Pro Life Campaign                                                                                                                                                             

Chairperson

Pro Life Campaign

104 Lower Baggot Street

Dublin 2

17th February 2011

Thank you  for  your  letter  dated 11th February 2011. I note that you are reviewing  the views of the different political parties on abortion and the protection of embryos on Tuesday next.

I set out my response our position as below:

Fianna  Fáil’s  position  on  abortion  remains unchanged and will maintain Ireland’s ban on abortion.

Fianna Fáil will uphold the right of the Irish people, and the Irish people alone,  to  decide  on  Ireland’s  abortion  laws.  We will oppose moves to legalise abortion  in  Ireland.  Our track record in this regard is clear.

Fianna  Fáil  Taoisigh  negotiated  legally  binding guarantees, which were attached  to the Treaties of Maastrict and Lisbon, ensuring that nothing in those reaties,  or  in  the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, affects the operation in Ireland of Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution.

The  Government  mounted a robust defence of Ireland’s abortion laws before the  European  Court  of Human Rights in A, B and C vs. Ireland. The Court found  that  the  Irish Constitution is not incompatible with the ECHR, and that  States  enjoy a margin of appreciation regarding protecting the right to  life  of the unborn, thereby affirming the Government’s view that it is the Irish people who have the right to decide on abortion.

Fianna  Fáil  will  ensure  that any new regime put in place in respect for assisted human reproduction fully respects the right to life of the unborn. In  this context,  Fianna  Fáil  in  Government  has  insisted that all EU research funding programmes respect Ireland’s national position in relation to embryo research through the ethical subsidiarity clause.

We have ensured that no embryo  research in Ireland has been or can be funded  by  the  EU.  In the negotiations on the 7th EU Framework Research Programme, Ireland played an influential  part in crafting a compromise whereby  the  Commission  undertook  not  to  submit proposals for research activities  that  destroy  human  embryos.  

I can also confirm that we are opposed to research on embryos and will not support moves to legalise this in Ireland.

Yours sincerely,

Micheál Martin TD

Leader Fianna Fáil