Cynicism Over Abortion Assurances 'Complete Fabrication'

The government has called the doubts raised over the EU assurances on abortion in Ireland by pro-life groups a "complete fabrication" in it's latest public statement on the matter.

Fianna Fail's Brian Crowley said the package secured by the Government at last month’s European Council included an additional guarantee on the matter and new legal guarantees making it "absolutely clear that the Charter of Fundamental Rights does not affect in any way the protection to the right to life provided for in the Irish Constitution".

Mr Crowley was responding to suggestions by influential pro-life group Cóir, who called the assurance on the controversial matter "as useful as a gate in the middle of a field".

“It purports to restrict the effects of the Lisbon Treaty on the Irish Constitution in only one small area, the area of Freedom, Security and Justice” explained Dr Coughlan. “This is only one of 13 areas of shared competences in the EU, i.e. shared between the Union and its Member States,” he said.

However, Minister Crowley contended that the EU could not use the treaty to legally challenge Ireland's abortion laws.

"Those who make such claims have no respect for facts and no regard for the truth. The charter only relates to EU institutions and EU laws and does not alter or undermine existing national constitutional protections,” the minister said.

The legal guarantees were agreed at last month’s European Council as a decision of the 27 EU heads of state and government. The Taoiseach Brian Cowen announced two weeks ago that the referendum on the Treaty would take place on Friday October the 2nd.

(DW/KMcA)