Doctors will be unable to perform emergency abortions if the upcoming constitutional referendum on abortion is passed next month, according to the Alliance for a No Vote.
The coalition of civil liberties, women’s rights and other groups, campaigning under the banner, Alliance for a No Vote (ANV), were today joined by Well Woman, Woman’s Aid and the association of single parent families, Cherish, in their call for voters to reject the Government’s proposed constitutional amendment at the polls on March 6th.
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Marking the 10th anniversary of the ‘X’ case - the Supreme Court ruling that allows for suicidal women to have abortions - ANV announced a list of five reasons to vote No:
- the 'X' case ruling will be overturned
- women who perform abortions on themselves will be criminalised
- use of the morning-after pill and Intra-Uterine Devices (IUD) will not be protected from legal challenge
- local health boards will be prevented from taking suicidal woman abroad for an abortion
- abortions will only be performed in approved places, when there is an immediate risk to the woman's
life and there will be no provision for emergency terminations
"Bertie Ahern is giving false assurances to women by saying that this referendum will protect the morning-after pill and IUD," Ms Cathleen O’Neill, ANV spokeswoman said today.
"The referendum gives no explicit assurance and will leave the morning-after pill and IUD open to legal challenge ... The only thing this referendum will do is endanger the lives and health of Irish women," she continued.
- The Irish Family Planning Association, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, Lawyers for Choice, Cork Women's Right to Choose Group, Dublin Abortion Rights Group, UCD Women's Education Research & Resource Centre, Pro-Choice Campaign, the Socialist Party and the Workers' Solidarity Movement, Well Woman, Woman's Aid and Cherish are among the groups represented by ANV.
