Zappone: We should consider views of women who have had abortions

Children’s Minister Katerine Zappone has said the views of women who have had abortions should be taken into consideration when deciding how to change the law.

It comes as differing opinions have emerged among ministers as to whether term limits should be included if the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution is repealed.

Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar claimed that term limits have to be part of any discussion about changing the law, but other ministers have differed on this matter.

Ms Zappone, who has been a vocal advocate of repealing the Eighth, said it would be important to determine the circumstances in which it would be ethical, right, and necessary for women to seek abortions.

She said she has requested that the cabinet discuss the recent UN Human Rights Committee judgment which found Amanda Mellet, who travelled to the UK for an abortion, suffered “severe emotional and mental pain” after being denied an abortion here. It is likely that today’s cabinet meeting will be dominated by this issue.

Ms Zappone said: “I do think there is a responsibility on the State to review this series of findings and to move forward with a sense of urgency to set up the citizens’ assembly to deal with the legislative referendum issues with that regard.”

She said we must listen to women who have previously travelled for abortions “so that we know what to replace, or how we change our laws with regard to abortion so that there is less restriction on women when they need to make that choice”.

She added: “I think what is most important is that the Irish people have a structured and systematic way to listen to the women who have had the experience of wanting to have an abortion and have had to travel, have had to seek information, and we need to hear from them.

“We need to hear from their husbands and their partners and we need to hear from their families and we need to hear all sides of the debate.”

She said she is “absolutely in favour” of repealing the Eighth Amendment and added that women are “absolutely moral agents” and can make ethical decisions, especially in areas relating to their bodies and that mean the most to their lives.

Ms Zappone also called on Taoiseach Enda Kenny to clarify the record of the Dáil after he last week made inaccurate statements on previous abortion referenda.

“I think that it is important that the people are aware of what the truth is in relation to how they have voted over the years on the issue of abortion and so yes I will have a conversation with the Taoiseach in that regard, I think he is aware of that.”