Great demo on Sunday May 8th – proud of our People before Profit contingent on it. Outrageous that the government would even consider giving the nuns, with a disgraced record in caring for women and children, control of our new National Maternity Hospital – not to mention the €300 million of public money

 

Brid moved a bill today in the Dáil that would change the penalty for abortion. Not many people know that taking the abortion pill or helping someone do so, could incur a 14 year prison sentence. We tried to decriminalise abortion in previous bills but we were told it was against the 8th amendment. Regardless of what the People’s Assembly says or does, we need to reduce the fear factor NOW.

 

Published on 24 Feb 2017

In the Dáil yesterday Brid Smith TD pointed out the widening gender gap – women are earning less and getting less in pensions than they were, compared with men. She linked this to the struggle of the mainly female workforce in TESCO and called for solidarity actions including supporting a mass picket of striking TESCO shops on Sat 25th Feb at 12.00 midday.

 

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2,159 women have been forced to travel to access abortion services since the government was elected

Precedent set for government parties to hold different positions – in 1983 to introduce 8th Amendment – Labour Tanaiste voted against Fine Gael Taoiseach

Campaigners from AAA-PBP, the Abortion Rights Campaign, National Women’s Council,  Coalition to Repeal the 8th, USI, People Before Profit-Pro Choice, ROSA, USI and Doctors for Choice gathered at the Dail today in support of the AAA-PBP Repeal Bill which is due to be debated tomorrow.Read more »

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Responding to reports that Fine Gael may use a parliamentary device to impede the progress of the AAA-PBP Bill which provides for a referendum to repeal the 8th Amendment, Ruth Coppinger TD said:   “These threats are being reported as being motivated to placate the Independent Alliance TDs who voted for this same Bill 18 months ago and have not yet ruled out supporting it again.
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Following the biggest yet pro-Choice demonstration in Dublin of 40 to 50,000, People Before Profit Choice held a post-demo meeting in Toners Pub in Baggott St. Bríd addressed the meeting and said the demand for ‘a women’s right to choose’ is the demand for equality. She links the denial of full rights for women with the denial of other rights including workers’ rights to decent wages, and our communities’ rights to adequate public services – like housing and health, rights denied by the current government and the establishment parties. She said to win our rights, we have to ‘GET POLITICAL’, and invites all who agree to join People Before Profit.

The public meeting organised by People Before Profit last night in the Central Hotel, Dublin, was a great success. Over a hundred people, packed the room to hear a platform of speakers demand a referendum to Repeal the 8th amendment, and to reaffirm PBP’s committment to a woman’s right to choose. Part of Brid’s speech is available on video here.