Abortion Recommendations ‘Cruel and Unjust’ - Minority Report

21.12.2017

Three members of the Oireachtas abortion committee have refused to endorse the extreme recommendations of the committee and have produced a separate report which calls for the retention of the 8th Amendment. The report is highly critical of how the committee conducted its business.

The minority report, produced by TDs Peter Fitzpatrick (FG – Louth) and Mattie McGrath (Ind – Tipperary) and independent Senator Ronan Mullen, accused the committee of being more concerned to produce its report before Christmas than “to thoroughly consider questions on which lives would depend in future.” They highlighted the huge imbalance in the witnesses invited by the committee, and the fact that, despite having declared that it would not invite advocacy groups, the committee went on to invite “numerous well-funded international pro-abortion advocacy groups and an abortion provider”.

The decision of the committee to vote in favour of repealing the 8th Amendment before it had even heard from all the invited witnesses was described by the minority as a “hasty, ill-considered and prejudicial move.”

The minority recommends that the 8th Amendment be retained “on the grounds that it protects both mother and unborn child, does not endanger top quality medical care for women and unborn children in pregnancy and is consistent with the best standards in the protection of human rights and human dignity.”

Minority Report. December 20.