At the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis at the RDS earlier today, delegates voted by a huge margin against a proposal that the Party would support efforts to repeal the 8th Amendment.
Commenting on the vote, PLC spokesperson Cora Sherlock said:
“Today’s result is a strong acknowledgement of the positive effect the 8th Amendment has had on Irish society since it was inserted into the Constitution in 1983. Since that time, tens of thousands of children’s lives have been saved by the provision as the absence of abortion in Ireland has offered families space and time to reflect on their situation when they were considering abortion. In many cases, they went on to have a baby that now forms an indispensable part of their family.
“It is easy to lose sight of this effect of the 8th Amendment just as it is easy to forget that thanks to the provision, we don’t have a situation like that which exists in the UK, where 1 in every 5 pregnancies ends in abortion and where abortion is available up to birth if the baby is diagnosed with a disability.”
She continued:
“As the 8th Amendment comes under increasing attack from international abortion lobby groups who have been invited to address the Oireachtas Committee, it is particularly important that the Fianna Fáil Party takes on board the message from its grassroots members today, and fully supports the 8th Amendment.”
ENDS
