Once more with feeling: I did not back abortion
Not only has he once again outdone himself with a ridiculously tenuous analogy (ie, comparing illegal detention in Guantanamo to abortion and the right to life), but he is now, in my mind, engaging in scaremongering — the same type of fear-inducement we saw from the no campaign during the Lisbon Treaty referendum.
My voting stance on abortion will always be in line with the Irish constitution. I have never voted in favour of abortion. The European Parliament report which I believe Mr O’Driscoll refers to — and which I voted in favour of — contains no reference to abortion.
In fact, this report supports the strengthening of the rights of people with disabilities, women, homeless people and others, for which I make no apology.
For the sake of clarification (although this will be repetitious of my last response to Mr O’Driscoll): no matter how Irish MEPs vote in the European Parliament in Brussels, the Irish position on abortion cannot and will not be affected by our membership of the EU.
Protocol 35 to the Lisbon Treaty states that nothing in the treaties shall affect the application in Ireland of Article 40.3.3 of the Irish constitution. Ireland’s constitutional position on abortion is safeguarded and no measure of misinformation from Mr O’Driscoll can alter this protection.
He still refuses to acknowledge that our own national courts agreed to permit abortion in very restricted circumstances in the early 1990s.
In 1992, the Irish Supreme Court decided in the ‘X’ case to allow abortion in very limited circumstances under Article 40.3.3 of the constitution “where there is a real and substantial risk to the life of the mother”. (In this case, a 14-year-old girl had been raped and was suicidal).
Mr O’Driscoll goes on to state that this European Parliament resolution seeks “rights” for same-sex partnerships, as if this was something untoward. But does he realise the Irish Government is also seeking those same rights for same-sex couples?
On June 24 last year, the Government announced the heads of their Civil Partnership Bill, which I support. Legislation is expected to come into effect in June 2009. I wonder if Mr O’Driscoll could explain how exactly his human rights are violated by the existence of same-sex couples?
Colm Burke MEP
Washington Street
Cork
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