Vatican, banking and abortion motions debated at Labour conference

The Labour Party has rejected a motion that would have called on the Government to re-open the Vatican embassy.

Delegates have also refused to accept a motion to use the Offences Against the State Act to charge those responsible for criminality in the banking sector.

But they have backed a motion for a more pro-choice policy of providing abortions legally in Ireland on grounds wider than risk to life or risk to health.

These delegates opposed the re-opening of the Irish Embassy to the Holy See for various reasons:

"The current Pope seems to believe that transgender people represent a comparable threat to continued existence of humankind as the threat posed by the burning of the rainforests" one said.

"Keep the Vatican embassy closed until the Vatican state fully co-opperates with our national inquiries into the sexual abuse of children," said another.