Council reject motion calling for Eighth Amendment referendum to be shelved

Edwin McGreal

Members of Mayo County Council rejected a motion from Independent Cllr Frank Durcan calling on the Government to scrap plans for a referendum in 2018 on the Eighth Amendment.
The Amendment, brought in 34 years ago, recognises the equal right to life of the mother and the unborn child.
Twenty-one councillors voted against the motion, five abstained while only Cllr Durcan voted for the motion.
Cllr Durcan’s motion stated: ‘that the members resolve to call on the Taoiseach and the Government on humanitarian grounds to abandon its plans to hold a Referendum relating to any change of the Eighth Amendment of our Constitution and furthermore if the motion is passed, that it be circulated to each local authority for their support’.
Cllr Durcan opened by claiming that 250,000 children’s lives in Ireland have been saved by the presence of the Eighth Amendment and said ‘no mother or father ever regretted the birth of a child, the joy a child brings to a home is unbelievable’.
He described abortion as ‘murder’ and said ‘life is there from the moment of conception’.
He criticised Minister for Children Katherine Zappone’s support of repealing of the Eighth Amendment and also made a comment about the Taoiseach not having children.
“The Taoiseach has never had the joy, unfortunately, of holding a child of his own in his hands.”
He said if the Eighth Amendment was repealed, ‘the next thing radicals would be looking for … is euthanasia’.

Motion seconded
Cllr Seamus Weir (Ind) seconded the motion. A motion has to be seconded in order to allow it to be discussed. He said he wanted to allow the issue to be debated.
“Cllr Durcan made a lot of sense regarding the life of the unborn. It has to be protected. We have to allow debate,” he said.
Cllr Therese Ruane (SF) said the Eighth Amendment ‘has no place in our constitution’ and that ‘successive governments failed to deal with it’.
She said young girls who are victims of rape and incest and women who are pregnant with fatal fetal abnormalities ‘have to get on a plane and are forced out of this jurisdiction’ and are ‘criminalised’.
“The place to deal with healthcare for women is in our legislation, not our constitution. Women’s lives and young girls’ lives are being put at risk every day because of the Eighth Amendment. Doctors will tell you that,” she added.
Cllr Jarlath Munnelly (FG) supported Cllr Ruane and said the issue was ‘divisive’ and ‘a matter of conscience’.
He described the Eighth Amendment as ‘an act of political populism’ in 1983.
“This decision should be between the family and their doctor. It should not be up to the State,” he said.
Cllr Michael Smyth (FF) said that he is ‘pro-life’ but added ‘I won’t stand in the way of democracy’.
He added ‘I don’t think I could stand in judgement’ of anyone who needed an abortion and that Ireland has ‘failed miserably those who went to England and failed miserably those who chose to have babies’.
Cllr Tereasa McGuire (FG) said it was possible to be ‘pro-life’ personally and be willing to allow people to make their own mind up.
Closing, Cllr Frank Durcan said, aged 76, he was the oldest person in the room.
“In my 76 years I never witnessed the death of a woman for the want of an abortion,” he said. When another councillor said what about the death of Savita Halappanavar in 2012, Cllr Durcan replied ‘except for the one in Galway’.
Cllr Durcan was the only councillor to vote for his motion. Cllrs Cyril Burke, Tom Connolly, Gerry Coyle, John Cribbin, Neil Cruise, Richard Finn, Blackie Gavin, Henry Kenny, Michael Kilcoyne, Michael Loftus, Al McDonnell, Tereasa McGuire, Paul McNamara, Jarlath Munnelly, Gerry Murray, Patsy O’Brien. John O’Hara, Annie-May Reape, Therese Ruane, Michael Smith and Teresa Whelan voted against the motion.
Cllrs Michael Holmes, Martin McLoughlin, Brendan Mulroy, Damien Ryan and Seamus Weir abstained. Cllrs John Caulfield, Christy Hyland and Gerry Ginty were absent.
Cllr Weir reared up afterwards.
“I heard a smart remark. I’m entitled to vote anyway I like. Nobody else would second him. I gave him the opportunity and that’s honorable,” he said.