O'Reilly Calls For Politicians To Be Fully Informed On 8th Amendment Debate

Sinn Féin's Health Spokesperson, Deputy Louise O'Reilly, has said it is "not good enough to have a superficial knowledge" on the 8th Amendment debate.

Teachta O'Reilly called on politicians to be fully informed of the facts in the lead up to the upcoming 8th Amendment Referendum.

Voted into the Irish Constitution by referendum in 1983, the Eighth Amendment states: "The states acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right".

In short, it equates the life of a pregnant woman with that of an embryo or foetus, therefore criminalising abortion in all cases except where to continue a pregnancy would result in death.

Speaking ahead of the referendum, which is to be held at the end of May, Teachta O'Reilly said if politicians are going to campaign for or against repealing the amendment, "they have a duty to be aware of the facts".

"The upcoming Referendum on the 8th Amendment is due to be momentous for Irish society," she said.

"Doubtless the debate and campaign surrounding the 8th Amendment will be hotly contested and fiercely debated. It is the duty of all politicians to be informed of all the facts surrounding the Referendum to Repeal the 8th Amendment. It is not good enough to have a superficial knowledge of the issue.

"If politicians are going to campaign for or against Repeal then they have a duty to be aware of the facts. We cannot have situations, as there has been in recent weeks, where politicians make spurious claims only for medical professionals such as Dr Peter Boylan of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists to have to write letters or take to television to clear up these false claims.

"The same goes for campaign groups. They too have a duty of care to deal only in facts when it comes to this debate.

"Similarly, there cannot be a repeat of situations like those during the Oireachtas 8th Amendment Committee when bogus claims were made about the health policies of the Danish and Icelandic Government's which were only cleared up when I wrote to those Government's so they could defend themselves and set the record straight."

Continuing, Teachta O'Reilly said for too long the debate has been "cheapened with falsehoods and misinformation".

"This can no longer be the case," she said.

"While I respect that everyone has and opinion, and everyone is entitled to an opinion, nobody should be allowed to spread falsehoods, deliberately or otherwise. This Referendum is too serious for us to entertain “alternative facts”, we must all be in full control of the actual facts when it comes to the Repeal Referendum.

"Politicians, campaign groups, and those reporting on the referendum all have a responsibility, as informers and shapers or public opinion, to be in full command of the facts around the debate."

(LM)