At last weekend’s Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis, I was very proud to speak in favour of a motion supporting the equal right to life of the mother and her child in the womb. This right to life is protected by the eighth amendment to Bunreacht na hÉireann. While the stance taken by the party’s members may be ignored by many members of the parliamentary party, it still sends a positive and powerful message to the people of Ireland. Not only does it show that a major political party supports retaining the eighth amendment, it also demonstrates that pro-life arguments deserve serious consideration, whether that be in the Oireachtas or the public sphere.
First of all, I want to make it clear that this is not a Fianna Fáil issue. It is not a conservative issue. It is a human-rights issue. Despite what people might argue, this issue does not fit into any simplistic left-right divide. We are engaging in the question of which human lives are valued in the eyes of the law. There are no logical links between your opinions on a united Ireland, rent controls, or the privatisation of water and your opinion on this specific issue. In fact, I know people from across the political spectrum with wildly different opinions on these issues and more, who are united in their determination to protect human life and the eighth amendment.
Fianna Fáil is made up of people from different backgrounds and from different parts of Ireland. Members certainly do not joke when they claim the movement is catch-all
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It should be noted that many Irish citizens alive today would not be here if it weren’t for the eighth amendment. In the UK, for example, one in five pregnancies ends in abortion. This is not the future we want for Ireland. Those of us on the pro-life side would argue that the eighth amendment has, indeed, saved many lives since it was enacted in 1983.
In Denmark, and several other European countries, children with down syndrome are being aborted because they don’t have the “right” number of chromosomes. Irish society has rightly taken huge steps forward from the days when people with disabilities were institutionalised and heavily discriminated against. How, then, can we justify eliminating people with disabilities before they are even born?
Economic equality is another key part of a fair and caring society. A 2005 survey by the pro-choice Guttmacher Institute found that one of the most frequently cited reasons for abortion was not being able to afford a baby now – 73 per cent of women surveyed gave this as a reason. For anyone who believes in the humanity of preborn life, this is a serious form of economic discrimination that means that preborn children in economically disadvantaged households are less likely to survive till birth.
Fianna Fáil is made up of people from different backgrounds and from different parts of Ireland. Members certainly do not joke when they claim the movement is catch-all. When this vote happened, it was therefore representative of large swathes of Irish society. As is always the case at these events, in the room there were men and women of all ages and from different socio-economic circumstances. Importantly, the debate beforehand proved that a respectful abortion debate can happen in Ireland. Both sides must look to this when the actual referendum campaign arrives.
Since the video was posted online, however, I have received some very personal online abuse from strangers. I have also had people make nasty comments to my face in the Arts Block
Furthermore, the stance taken by the party members sends a powerful message to young people and to the whole population of Ireland. Several people have sent me messages of support or approached me in the Arts Block since the weekend, many of whom didn’t know me but saw the clip of me and others speaking that appeared on the Irish Times website. The vast majority of these people said it was “brave” of me to speak up and told me they were “quietly pro-life”. It’s disappointing that people feel unable to even express sincere and respectful viewpoints.
Since the video was posted online, however, I have received some very personal online abuse from strangers. I have also had people make nasty comments to my face in the Arts Block. Hopefully this motion will spark a more tolerant and respectful debate where all viewpoints are considered.
The vote at the Ard Fheis on Saturday probably won’t change anybody’s mind on the eighth amendment but it may have a positive effect on the referendum campaign itself. This issue is a highly important and complicated one. If we are to have a proper discussion, all sincere viewpoints and arguments must be given due weight.
