By Susan Gately - 30 August, 2015
On Monday (7 September), Dublin City Council will vote on a motion calling for the repeal of the pro-life 8th amendment to the Irish Constitution, which recognises the right to life of the unborn child.
The motion is proposed by Anti-Austerity Alliance Councillor Michael O’Brien.
Last September, Cork City Council by a narrow margin, passed a motion to support a referendum to repeal the 8th amendment.
The Life Institute is appealing to people from Dublin to canvass their local councillors to oppose the motion.
“If you live in Dublin, or you have friends or family who do, please take a moment to contact your city councillor to tell them to vote against a motion to repeal the 8th amendment,” says the Life Institute in a release circulated this week.
Working in direct opposition to their campaign, the Abortion Rights Campaign is also waging a strong initiative urging the public to “write/email/ring/text” local Councillors urging them to support the motion for a referendum to repeal the 8th.
On their website they provide a sample letter which may be sent to local Councillors.
ARC is also gearing up for its 3rd annual March for Choice on 27 September in Dublin, marking International Decriminalisation of Abortion Day.
“You’re invited to come Speak With Your Feet that we need free, safe, legal abortion in Ireland now,” say the group’s literature.
Encouraging the public to keep the 8th amendment, the Life Institute points out that the amendment seeks to protect the right to life of “both mother and baby”.
Noting that in the UK, the 1967 Act introducing abortion was meant to be restrictive, with two doctors signing off on abortions only in certain circumstances, the group says it has lead to “carnage”.
Some 200,000 abortions are carried out every year, that is equivalent to more than one in every five babies in Britain being aborted. In 2013, there was a 37% repeat abortion rate.
Also that year, a British Parliamentary inquiry (the Bruce Inquiry), found that 90% of Down’s Syndrome babies were being aborted.
“In contrast, Ireland’s abortion rate has fallen 45% in 11 years (from 6,700 women travelling in 2001 to 3,735 in 2014 )” says its website.
Many Dublin City Councillors come from parties of the Left or Sinn Féin who have already announced their intention to make the repeal of the 8th amendment part of their manifesto in the next general election.
The contact details for City Councillors are as follows:
North Inner City:
Janice Boylan, Sinn Fein, [email protected] 085 2241322; Christy Burke, Non party, [email protected] 087 2626507,Ciaran Cuffe, Green Party, [email protected] 087 2652075
Gaye Fagan, Sinn Fein, [email protected] 089 2086125; Garry Gannon, Non party, [email protected] 086 1780149 Ray McAdam, Fine Gael, [email protected] 086 8471720
Nial Ring, Non party, [email protected] 087 2489372; Eilis Ryan, Workers Party, [email protected] 086-3108553
Beaumont
Paddy Bourke, Non party, [email protected] 087 286 2558; Tom Brabazon Fianna Fail [email protected] (01)853 2434 086 8092944; Declan Flanagan FG [email protected] 087 2595544;
Alison Gilliland , Labour, 086 6015154 [email protected]; John Lyons, Lab, 01 618 3280 j [email protected]; Michael Mac Donncha SF 086 1021945 [email protected]; Denise Mitchell, SF, [email protected] 086 8802768; Micheal O’Brien AAA, [email protected] 0872400331; Larry O’Toole SF, [email protected] 086 854 1940
Clontarf
Sean Haughey, FF, 087 3494888 [email protected]; Deirdre Heney FF, [email protected] 086 8118072; Jane Horgan-Jones Lab, 086-837-5219 [email protected]; Damian O’Farrell Non party,
[email protected] 086-2148177; Ciaran O’Moore SF, [email protected] 086 3587392; Naoise O’Muiri FG, 086 827 0408 [email protected]
Ballymun
Cathleen CarneyBoud SF, [email protected] 087 3817242; Aine Clancy, Lab, 087 7635406 [email protected]; Andrew Keegan People before Profit, 087 1684896 [email protected]; Paul McAuliffe FF 087 6727060 [email protected]; Andrew Montague, Lab, [email protected] 087 908 0409; Noeleen Reilly SF [email protected] 087 6336233; Noel Rock FG [email protected] 085 7049415
Cabra
Brendan Carr Lab, 087 207 5921 [email protected]; Anthony Connaghan SF [email protected] 087 2376762; David Costello FF, [email protected] 087 2221589; Teresa Keegan NP, [email protected] 087 1469902; Seamas McGrattan SF, [email protected] 0877848153; Emma Murphy SF, [email protected] 085 8409140; Ciaran Perry NP, [email protected] 087- 1477316
Crumlin
Catherine Ardagh FF, [email protected] 01 5313300; Pat Dunne United Left, [email protected] 087 776 4422; Tina MacVeigh People before Profit, [email protected] 086 8715293; Ray Mc Hugh SF, [email protected] 9369611; Rebecca Moynahan Labour, 087 9566588 [email protected]; Críona Ni Dhálaigh SF [email protected] 087 9958949
Ballyfermot
Daithi DeRoiste FF [email protected] 085 7246061; Daithi Doolan SF [email protected] 086 388815; Paul Hand NP, 087 3390561 [email protected]; Vincent Jackson NP, [email protected] 086 812 6330; Greg Kelly SF, [email protected] 087 2313752; Brid Smith PbP, [email protected] 087 9090166
Pembroke- South Dock
Chris Andrews SF, [email protected] 087 2851515; Kieran Binchy FG [email protected] 087 1774365; Claire Byrne Green, [email protected] 0877467872; Mannix Flynn NP, [email protected] 087-2246664; Frank Kennedy FF, 087-3383972 [email protected]; Dermot Lacey Lab, 087 264 6960 [email protected]; Paddy Mc Cartan FG, 087-2248817 [email protected]; Sonya Stapleton PbP, [email protected] 087 1475209;
Rathgar – Rathmines
Patrick Costello, Green, [email protected] 087 9431494; Mary Freehill Lab, [email protected] 086 8126378; Ruairi McGinley NP, [email protected] 086 8301111; Jim O’Callaghan FF, [email protected] 01 475 89 43; Kate O’Connell FG [email protected] 083 1653401; Dr Paddy Smyth FG [email protected] 086 0676598.
