South Dublin County Council last night called on the Government to
legislate for abortion to give effect to the Supreme Court decision in
the X case.
The same issue caused a row at a meeting of Fingal County Council in north Dublin when a similar resolution was carried.
The
motion tabled at the South Dublin County Council meeting by Labour
councillor Chris Bond amended an earlier motion calling for the making
of “safe and legal abortion available on demand of women in Ireland”,
which was also tabled by Mr Bond.
Proposing his amended motion, Mr
Bond said it was 20 years since the Supreme Court decision on the X
case and it was time legislation was brought in to allow for abortion in
such circumstances.
He acknowledged the fact that some people
believed rights to abortion should be restricted, but said others
believed in the right of women to choose abortion.
He said he
believed the X case should be seen as a separate set of circumstances in
which women who had been raped should have the right to access
abortion.
Even many of those who felt abortion should be
restricted have agreed that women who have been raped should have access
to abortion, he said.
Labour councillor Mick Duff supported the motion, saying legislation on the X case was “long overdue”.
He said it was “abhorrent” that women in such circumstances had to travel for abortions.
Councillor
Pamela Kearns said it was not correct to say the issue had no place on
the agenda.
“It is what we are faced with on the doorsteps and should be
discussed here.”
Fianna Fáil councillor Eamonn Walsh said while
people were genuinely concerned he felt it was not appropriate to
legislate on the basis of the X case. The motion was “premature” in
advance of a key Government report on the issue.
Mr Walsh also
said he felt to legislate for abortion on the basis of the X case would
be “tantamount to allowing abortion on demand”.
A row broke out in
the chamber at a meeting of Fingal County Council as councillor Ruth
Coppinger of the Socialist Party spoke on a motion she had tabled
calling on the Government to legislate for the X case Supreme Court
ruling.
Labour councillor Tom Kelleher said he could not hear the
proceedings due to a protest outside which he claimed had been organised
by Ms Coppinger.
Ms Coppinger said the protest had been organised by the Balbriggan campaign against the household charge.
The motion calling for legislation on abortion was carried by eight votes to two with three abstentions.
The
meeting also heard a claim that some people in north Dublin were
concerned they may face prosecution because they were “duped” into not
paying the household charge.