Thank you: your work is making a difference in seeking amendments to abortion bill

As you know, 12 TDs voted NO to the abortion bill last week, and most of them also put forward amendments to the bill which has now gone before the Health Committee.  Many TDs were encouraged and emboldened by the large volume of clinic visits, phone calls, emails and other contacts and messages of encouragement they received.  A special thank you to everyone who made the effort to distribute our Protect Me leaflets which brought additional numbers of voters to contact TDs.

The amendments to the bill now being considered include:

• Banning abortion on disability grounds
• Protecting medical professionals and other staff from being forced to facilitate abortions
• Ensuring parental consent where a girl is under 16
• Banning abortion on gender grounds
• Ensuring that women have a chance to see an ultrasound of their baby if they wish
• Treatment of unborn baby’s bodies with dignity
• Pain relief for preborn babies
• Removal of obligation for taxpayer to fund abortions

While Harris wants the Health Committee to send the bill back to the Dáil by November 12th, some TDs are arguing that the volume of amendments requires more time for consideration.  A reminder of the 12 TDs who voted No – brave men and women who must be supported in the next election. 

Mattie McGrath, Carol Nolan, Michael Collins, Peadar Tóibín, Peter Fitzpatrick, Eamon O’Cuiv, Micheal Lowry, Seán Canny, Mark McSherry, Michael Fitzmaurice, Michael Healy-Rae and Danny Healy-Rae. This week Peadar Tóibín was suspended by Sinn Féin for voting against this cruel and barbaric bill. 

As one supporter put it on Twitter: 

Please keep the calls and messages to seek amendments going. Our thanks to all of you for having the courage to fight on for mother and babies.