Independent’s sell-out means no referendum to repeal the 8th, under this government

Thousands of women will be forced to continue to travel due to betrayal

At a press conference on the Dail plinth today, AAA-PBP TDs responded to the government’s plan to table a counter-motion to the Repeal Bill which will prevent it from progressing through the Dail.

Ruth Coppinger TD said “This is a sell-out and betrayal by the Independent Ministers like Katherine Zappone, John Halligan and Shane Ross.

“Ministers, who said they are in favour of repeal, will line up and vote as part of the government against repealing the 8th amendment. They are putting their ministerial seats before the health and lives of women.

“This vote will guarantee that no referendum will take place during the life-time of this government. By the time the Citizens’ Assembly reports back, the Oireachtas Committee sits and then a Bill is passed through both houses, the earliest opportunity for a referendum will be late 2018 or early 2019, by that stage this government may not be in power. They have sent a clear message to women telling them they can continue to wait.”

Bríd Smith said: “I am absolutely furious with the ‘so-called’ independents who are co-operating with Fine Gael to practically ensure that the 8th Amendment is not dealt with in the life time of this Government.

“To fob us off with the reliance on the adjudication of a Citizen’s Assembly of 99 people is not good enough. It is undemocratic. It prevents thousands of young people who never had a chance to vote on abortion or women’s bodily autonomy from having their say on the 8th.”

ENDS

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Dave Murphy: 0858221795

Nick Lee: 0876156473