Sir, – The vote by the Oireachtas Committee on the repeal of the Eighth Amendment demonstrates another small step to Ireland becoming a more compassionate and tolerant society. I hope this spirit will be reflected in a national referendum next summer. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL STOREY,
Glencar, Sligo.
Sir, – So, after a few years when children’s rights and equality were popular, an Oireachtas Committee has recommended removing from the Constitution an article (the Eighth Amendment) that specifically acknowledges children’s rights, and equality.
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The headline on Miriam Lord’s article (December 14th) suggests that December 13th was “A day some of us never thought we would see” and I agree – it was a black and disturbing day, but at least the people get the final say, and the undoubted compassion of the Irish voters will surely not inspire them to vote for any measure that will make it easier to end the lives of unborn (but living) children.
Yes there are well-flagged challenges in pregnancy, but a civilised society will never suggest the destruction of any human life as a solution. On the same page Pat Leahy’s article is headlined “Opinion polls suggest middle ground will be decisive”, and I’m inclined to agree with that too.
If the people in the middle ground reflect on what abortion actually is, I suspect they will never go for such a cruel solution to genuine human problems. – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN O’REGAN,
Arklow, Co Wicklow.
Sir, – Well done to all the members of the Eighth Amendment Oireachtas Committee on their full and honest contributions (both sides).
Particular congratulations to the chairperson Senator Catherine Noone.
Respectfully I do believe the way the majority voted marks this day as a great one for Irish society. – Yours, etc,
GERALDINE GREGAN,
Clarecastle,
Co Clare.
Sir, – Once considered pro-life, Hildegard Naughton TD now states that she has changed her mind because she wishes to protect women against unsupervised access to abortion pills; she now supports abortion up to 12 weeks (Home News, December 12th). And what is her position on women who seek abortions after 12 weeks? Are they not to be protected from abortion pills or do they not matter? That is the problem those who seek so-called limited abortion face. The logic of allowing abortion is, ultimately, abortion on demand – at least up to a fairly late stage.
Irish women who seek abortions after 12 weeks will continue to have them abroad or, illegally at home, even if provision for abortions up to 12 weeks is made.
Ms Naughton would do better to return to her previous pro-life position and seek to protect the unborn. – Yours, etc,
CDC ARMSTRONG,
Belfast.
Sir, – Mattie McGrath should feel embarrassed by his “fat lady sings” comments about Catherine Noone, “Mattie McGrath criticised for ‘fat lady sings’ abortion comments”, December 13th.
Fianna Fáil senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee accurately labelled them as “sexist and disgusting”. He has privately apologised to Ms Noone, but she is right not to dignify his frankly pathetic and adolescent attempt at “humour” with a public reply.
I had never heard of Catherine Noone before she was appointed chairperson of the Oireachtas committee on the Eighth Amendment. However, the Fine Gael senator has done an excellent job of keeping the committee focused and moving forward despite some highly publicised tantrums and diversionary tactics mostly from its anti-abortion members, notably Mr McGrath and senator Rónán Mullen, and their pro-life allies outside Oireachtas Éireann.
Senator Noone says she will be relieved when the business of the committee is finally “off her desk”. Having conducted proceedings in a fair and equitable manner, she deserves the thanks of the Irish public for the fine work she done in difficult circumstances. – Yours, etc,
JOE McCARTHY,
Arbour Hill, Dublin 7.
Sir, – Miriam Lord, in her Dáil Sketch (December 14th) writes of how Oireachtas members argued over “facts” before the Oireachtas vote, reporting that Peter Fitzpatrick “still talked about a child’s heartbeat after three weeks” and that FG’s Kate O’Connell won the race to tell him yet again there is not a heartbeat after three weeks”.
According to the Endowment for Human Development, “The heart begins beating three weeks and one day following fertilisation” and at seven and a half weeks electrical activity of the embryo’s heart reveals a wave pattern similar to the adult’s”. Furthermore the heart beats approximately 54 million times before birth and after birth 3.2 billion times assuming an 80-year life span.
These facts were not presented to the Oireachtas Committee yet have been widely known since 2004. – Yours, etc,
ANN KEHOE,
Dublin 15.