The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has called for the introduction of legislation giving effect to the Supreme Court decision in the X case which allows abortion where there is a real and substantial risk to the life of the mother, including suicide.
The call was made by the ICTU at the Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution public abortion hearings yesterday. The view was supported in submissions by the Well Woman Centre, the Adelaide Hospital Society and the Abortion Reform Group. However, the Irish Family Planning Association submitted that women should be allowed to make decisions on abortions for themselves in consultation with their medical advisers, as it was unreasonable for society to take the role of arbiter on itself.
The general secretary of the ICTU, Mr Peter Cassells, told the committee the submission came from democratic views from debates by delegates at conferences in the 1980s and 1990s.
Congress supported legislation giving effect to the Supreme Court X case decision, which should also include the repeal of the criminalisation of abortion in the Offences Against the Person Act 1860.
It also advocated that there be no time limits on the termination of the pregnancy, as in life-threatening situations for the mother they normally did not apply.
Congress supported the whole issue of information, facilities, back-up support, and education.
Ms Alison Begas, chief executive of the Well Woman Centre, urged the committee not to make any recommendations to Government that would have the effect of rowing back on the crucial and basic right to informed choice.
The centre opposed another referendum. She called for the legislation of the X case judgement with definitions of the medical circumstances in which a women's life was in danger. An alternative might be to legislate for the time limits at which an abortion may be performed.
Prof Ian Graham, Adelaide Hospital Society, said it believed the Government should legislate within the framework of the X and C cases.
There was a lack of understanding for pregnant women and this brought about a situation where, for example, middle-aged men, who thought they knew about it, made decisions.
"Women are patronised and not given sufficient support," Prof Graham said.
He welcomed "the calm, detailed scrutiny" the committee was giving to the issue.
In its submission, the IFPA recommended that the Constitution be amended to provide that any right to life in the Constitution referred only to persons who were born.
Mr Tony O'Brien, IFPA chief executive, said this year it expected that more than 6,000 women would give an Irish address in an English abortion clinic.
"Any commitment to minimising the incidence of Irish abortion or indeed to improving sexual health, will require far more than the overdue scrapping of some bizarre laws. It requires concerted action, targeted resources and clear policy," he told the committee.
Ms Catherine Forde BL said sanctions should be there to protect any viable foetus and prior to that in the pregnancy there should be no criminal sanctions.
The Abortion Reform group called for legislation to implement the Supreme Court decision in the X case.
Ms Ivana Bacik said that if the committee decided the Constitution should be amended, a pre-referendum-type vote could be held so that a number of options for reform would be put to the people. The advantage of this type of vote would be its ability to engender a consensus on an issue that had always been seen as divisive.