Grassroots oppose repealing the 8th

Fianna Fáil’s grassroots members have strongly backed a motion opposing “any attempt to diminish the constitutional rights of the unborn” despite party leader Micheál Martin calling for a free vote in any referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment.

The position was announced to cheers by delegates during a vote of more than 200 Fianna Fáil members at the party’s annual ard fheis at the RDS in Dublin on Saturday — at which a separate pro-choice motion was roundly rejected.

However, while the anti-repeal motion was passed by a three to one majority, it is not binding and is instead advisory, meaning the party remains free to continue with its free-vote approach to next year’s referendum.

Speaking at an at-times emotive hour-long debate, which heard more than 20 delegates take to the stage on the issue, grassroots members backed a Kildare North cumann motion opposing “any attempt to diminish the constitutional rights of the unborn”.

A separate motion from the party’s London cumann asking for support for a “positive campaign” backing “a woman’s right to choose” was defeated by a similar margin.

Supporting the former motion, one delegate, Donegal member Roisin Bradley, said if the party’s slogan, “An Ireland For All”, is true it must protect “the life of the unborn”, while former senator John Hanafin criticised an alleged pro-choice bias in the media.

However, pro-choice delegates said it is wrong to force women to travel abroad for medical treatment, with Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown councillor Jennifer Cuffe saying thousands of women are travelling to London.

“It’s happening, we cannot turn our backs on it anymore,” said Ms Cuffe.

Fianna Fáil TDs Lisa Chambers, Anne Rabbitte, Billy Kelleher, and James Browne, who are on the Eighth Amendment Oireachtas committee, and Mary Butler and Margaret O’Mahony Murphy welcomed “respectful” debate, with Ms Chambers expressing her pro-choice views and Ms Butler speaking in opposition to the repeal movement. Ms Rabbitte, meanwhile, said she “is pro-life with a bit of realism” .

However, while Mr Kelleher and Ms Rabbitte made it clear they joined the committee with an open mind on the various viewpoints, Ms Butler was vocal in her anti-abortion opinions.

“I might be the party spokesperson for older people, but I’m also the spokesperson for the unborn,” said Ms Butler.

The debate also included notable criticism from the crowd for a delegate who mentioned of two high-profile and harrowing recent cases that were affected by the Eighth Amendment in its present form.