Council to discuss naming street after Savita Halappanavar

Dublin City Council will be asked next week to name a street after Savita Halappanavar, who died four years ago following complications during a miscarriage.

Ms Halappanavar had asked several times for a termination of the unviable pregnancy before the complications resulted in her contracting septicaemia. She was told a termination was not possible because the foetal heartbeat was still present.

According to Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution, the life of the mother and the unborn must both be protected “as far as practicable”.

She died on October 28th, 2012 at University Hospital Galway.

Dublin South Central People Before Profit councillor Tina MacVeigh will propose the motion at the next Dublin City Council meeting on November 7th.

It reads: “To honour the memory of Savita Halappanavar, who tragically lost her life as a consequence of the Irish State’s barbaric and antiquated attitudes to women’s reproductive rights, that a street in our capital city be named in her memory.”

Parents welcome idea

When asked how the street-naming would happen and whether she had a street in mind, Ms MacVeigh said if passed, the motion would be referred to the council’s street-naming committee to work out the “protocol and process”.

“It could happen in lots of ways. Either a street could be renamed or we could name a new street or a square after her. I will be interested to hear other councillors’ ideas, and ideas from people beyond the council. This is about putting it out there to see what ideas people have.”

Ms MacVeigh sought the approval of Ms Halappanvar’s parents, Andaneppa and Akhmedevi Yalagi, before tabling the motion.

Mr Yalagi said they were happy with idea, describing it as "heart-warming".

“We welcome this proposal wholeheartedly,” he said.

Cllr MacVeigh said it was important Ms Halappanvar be remembered "in as many ways as possible".

“When she died her widower, Praveen, was so adamant that she not be forgotten, that we know who she was. Whatever about abortion, she was denied medical treatment, she was denied basic medical care because of the Constitution .

“Naming a street or a square, something tangible like that, after Savita, would be a solid and permanent honouring of her.”