Call for Government to legislate on abortion

South Dublin County Council tonight called on the Government to legislate for abortion to give effect to the Supreme Court decision in the X-Case.

The motion, tabled 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 councillor Bond.

Proposing his amended motion Mr Bond said it was twenty 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 said he acknowledged the fact that some people believed rights to abortion should be restricted, while others believed in the rights of women to choose abortion.

However he said he believed the X-case should be seen as separate set of circumstances. He said many people  who felt abortion should be restricted agreed that women who had been raped should have access to abortion.

Councillor Bond said he had no time for the arguments of Youth Defence which was a group he said "fixated not just on abortion but on opposition to contraception and sex education". He said he saw the group's stance on sex education and contraception contributing to the issue of abortion.

Councillor Mick Duffy (Lab) supported the motion saying legisalation on the X-Case was "long overdue". He said it was "abhorrent" that a woman in such circumstances has to travel for an abortion.

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" she said.

However councillor Eamon Walsh (FF) said while people were genuinely concerned he felt it was not appropriate to legislate on the basis of the x-case. He said 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 to "tantamount to allowing abortion on demand".