Thanks Sharrow :)

At the risk of sounding cynical.. No.

The content of these hearings has been great. The coverage is great. That it will hopefully lead to better informed debate is great. But ultimately it’s just window dressing for a decision that’s already been taken.

The Government decided what it was going to do weeks ago, on the basis of a report that was not up for discussion at these hearings. The Committee is not allowed to make any actual recommendations based on what it has heard; they will just report on what was said. So.. What has this changed? Nothing. How will this lovely display of “democracy” actually impact the final outcome? Not a bit.

We should not be so easily duped into believing that this is a new kind of mature, democratic politics. It is the same old heavily centralised decision making, in a shiny new wrapper.

And I got abused here for saying it was a waste of money

At the risk of sounding naive , yes I hope so. Anyone who like me can recall the convulsive and repulsive nature of the discourse during the early 80 ‘s will tell you that much has improved.

No. Quite sure the electorate were asked twice what they wanted and were twice ignored.

The Judgment in the X Case is flawed. FF at the time did not accept the legal advice of the AG. Shame on FF! The only correct conclusion now is to have another Referendum. It is time for elected TD’s to be honest!

Don’t confuse “having your say” with “being listened to”.

Correction, “litigation” above should read “legislation”. I mistyped and predictive typing did the rest but it was my mistake. Sorry.

They were there as they represent the catholic views and beliefs of Irish citizens, much like the pro choice groups were invited cause they represent the views of another group of our society. You don’t have to give any value to their organisation, much as i don’t to the views of the choice groups who themselves are mostly ordinary citizens and also not experts, but they get to be heard as they represent a group. That’s democracy. However… If the legislators write the laws based their own religious beliefs or just to satisfy one religious ideology, that’s something else entirely.

@ Risteard, what information did the majority of Roman Catholic Church legislators not know about the Roman Catholic Church position?

Its grand, they’re up. Ta

http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=22588&&CatID=127

Would having abortion available in Ireland allied with proper counselling of women before the procedure not in the long run probably lead to fewer abortions overall. Win Win situation. What is gained by forcing stressed girls & women to go to the UK.

@ Reginald’s Tower, well said. Reducing the incidence of abortiion is desirable and I sat this although I am pro choice.

Countries such as the Netherlands have successfully achieved low abortion rates by addressing the causes of the need to avail of abortion.

Counselling would help but others causes, socio economic factors, poverty and deprivation, rape, incest, and other causes need to be addressed. Reduction in unwanted teenage pregnancy would help and a highly confidential analysis of the reasons given and experiences reported by the 4,000 to 5,000 estimated women who travel to obtain abortion would provide the facts to guide policy. This would be resource intensive but it we are genuinely concerned with reducing the incidence of abortion, this hard word and focus of resources is unavoidable.

Strictly prohibitory legislation and Constitutional aspiration are as worthless as they are harmful when many thousands of women exercise their legitimate freedom and legally reinforced right to travel to receive abortions.

Ultimately and practically each woman must have the right to choose but massive results could be achieved if all of the causes of the need to obtain abortion were practically and with determination, with commitment of adequate resources, effectively addressed. There are no short cuts in doing that.

All abortions cannot ever be avoided, especially medically necessary or medically prudent abortions but legislation and Constitutional provision has done no good, only harm.

Not every issue should or must be legislated for, we should not have enshrined the dogma of the Roman Catholic Church into our Constitution. Religion and law are a very bad mix. We have to distinguish between and separate the roles of religion, morality and law and I heard a lot of confused thinking yesterday resulting from a confusion between and conflation of these roles.

I agree with your point.

Obviously your not a woman and have never went through pregnancy, I had 3 kids alas I didn’t feel suicidal thankfully throughout the 3 of them but definitely pretty depressed in one of the them, that was a terrible time for me, you have no right to tell someone what they can or cannot do, as I don’t feel its appropriate to tell people what to do with their lives.