The Irish Country Women’s Association (ICA) has not
distanced itself from a new campaign by the National Women’s Council of
Ireland (NWCI) to repeal the Eighth amendment and introduce ‘safe,
legal’ abortion to Ireland”. The ICA is a member of the Women’s Council.
Asked by The Irish Catholic if the ICA also
wanted ‘safe and legal abortion’, an ICA representative said the
organisation would not comment and was leaving the issue of abortion to
individual members to “vote with their consciences”.
Commenting on the ICA position, a spokesman from the Iona
Institute said, “the refusal by the ICA to distance itself from the
policy of the NWCI makes it look like the ICA is endorsing the NWCI
position on abortion. It should distance itself from it.”
Scandal
Earlier this week the Pro Life Campaign (PLC) sharply
criticised the NWCI’s decision to campaign publicly for the dismantling
of the pro-life amendment to the Constitution.
“It is a scandal that a
tax payer funded group like the NWCI is openly campaigning for abortion
and that Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald appears to see nothing
wrong with that,” said Dr Ruth Cullen of the Pro Life Campaign.
Minister Frances Fitzgerald launched the Council’s four
year plan ‘2016 – 2020: Driving Women’s Equality’ at the NWCI’s recent
AGM, which calls for “full reproductive choice for Irish women in the
coming debate and possible referendum.”
According to the last audited accounts on the NWCI
website, it received €397,595 of its total grant aid of €475,800, from
government sources.
The NWCI has 170 member groups including Abortion Rights
Campaign, Action for Choice, Doctors for Choice and Termination for
Medical Reasons.
Other groups represented by the Council are the Irish
Countrywoman’s Association (ICA), Irish Girl Guides and the Methodist
Women in Ireland.
NWCI director Orla O’Connor told The Irish Catholic
that its policies are set at the AGM through motions put by its members.
The motion backing the introduction of “free, safe and legal abortion
in Ireland” was the culmination of a number of other motions passed by
members over the last 15 years.