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13/06/2017
Incoming Taoiseach Must Commit To Repeal The Eighth Referendum - Labour
The incoming Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has been urged to commit to a referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment.
Making the call, Labour member of the Oireachtas Committee on the Citizens' Assembly, Jan O'Sullivan, said: "For the second time, the UN Human Rights Committee has ruled that our current laws surrounding abortion are 'cruel, inhumane, degrading'. This is simply not good enough – it is imperative that Leo Varadkar commits to holding a referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment.
"Today the UK Department of Health has also published statistics that show 3,265 Irish women travelled to the UK for abortions last year. We cannot continue to export our responsibilities to our nearest neighbour. Women should not have to travel to access abortion services.
"Since the beginning of the week our news cycles have been dominated with a story of the callous treatment of a young girl who was denied a termination, reminding us of the inhumane nature of the Eighth Amendment.
"The stance of the Labour Party is clear; the Eighth Amendment must be repealed and as the only party that campaigned against its inclusion in 1983 we won't stop until it's gone and the women of this nation are treated with the decency and respect they deserve."
(MH/LM)
Making the call, Labour member of the Oireachtas Committee on the Citizens' Assembly, Jan O'Sullivan, said: "For the second time, the UN Human Rights Committee has ruled that our current laws surrounding abortion are 'cruel, inhumane, degrading'. This is simply not good enough – it is imperative that Leo Varadkar commits to holding a referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment.
"Today the UK Department of Health has also published statistics that show 3,265 Irish women travelled to the UK for abortions last year. We cannot continue to export our responsibilities to our nearest neighbour. Women should not have to travel to access abortion services.
"Since the beginning of the week our news cycles have been dominated with a story of the callous treatment of a young girl who was denied a termination, reminding us of the inhumane nature of the Eighth Amendment.
"The stance of the Labour Party is clear; the Eighth Amendment must be repealed and as the only party that campaigned against its inclusion in 1983 we won't stop until it's gone and the women of this nation are treated with the decency and respect they deserve."
(MH/LM)
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