Shame on those who voted for abortion

“Government of the people, by the people, for the people”, is seen as the hallmark of a representative, democratic society.

In the 2011 General Election, 95 deputies were elected by the people to Dáil Éireann representing parties (Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil) that had given commitments that they would not legislate for abortion. There were also other independent TDs elected who opposed X Case abortion legislation.

Given that the vast majority of the 166 TDs in the 31st Dáil were elected on the basis of their, or their party’s, promise not to introduce abortion legislation, the Dáil vote on Jul 12 to legalise abortion, up to birth, was the greatest breach of the principles of representative democracy in Irish history, and also an attack on the most basic human right, the right to life, of unborn babies.