Jennifer Whitmore: Legislate Now for Women Forced to Travel
Jennifer Whitmore addressed the Dáil to press the Minister for support for a Bill that would be examined in committee. She urged ministers to bring experts and people with lived experience into committee and to legislate so women do not have to travel abroad for terminations.
Committee scrutiny: Whitmore thanked the Minister and acknowledged the technical concerns raised, but stressed that the basic principle is shared. She asked for the Bill to move to committee for in-depth scrutiny so experts, clinicians and those with lived experience can be heard.
Human impact: Whitmore highlighted the reality behind the numbers - the 240 women who travelled last year for terminations - and described the practical and painful dilemmas families faced, including hiding a newborn or leaving a baby in the UK out of fear.
Legislative demand: The speech framed the issue as a legal and moral responsibility: empathy is not enough, Whitmore said; what is needed is legislation to prevent other women from having to make those choices.
Next steps and consequences: Whitmore called for a clear pathway to committee hearings and for ministers to support legislative change so the health needs of women and families are met at home.
Committee scrutiny: Whitmore thanked the Minister and acknowledged the technical concerns raised, but stressed that the basic principle is shared. She asked for the Bill to move to committee for in-depth scrutiny so experts, clinicians and those with lived experience can be heard.
Human impact: Whitmore highlighted the reality behind the numbers - the 240 women who travelled last year for terminations - and described the practical and painful dilemmas families faced, including hiding a newborn or leaving a baby in the UK out of fear.
Legislative demand: The speech framed the issue as a legal and moral responsibility: empathy is not enough, Whitmore said; what is needed is legislation to prevent other women from having to make those choices.
Next steps and consequences: Whitmore called for a clear pathway to committee hearings and for ministers to support legislative change so the health needs of women and families are met at home.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Other speeches
Tego samego dnia All speeches from this day →
Richard Boyd Barrett
Richard Boyd Barrett: EirGrid bullied Dublin Bay fishers - who benefits?
Paul Murphy
Paul Murphy: 12-week limit treats pregnant people as vessels
Mattie McGrath
Mattie McGrath: Challenges Social Democrats on Three-Day Wait
Jack Chambers
Jack Chambers: Defends removing Section 15 to speed projects
Paul Murphy
Paul Murphy: Calls Out €20m Exports to IDF in 2024
Thomas Gould
Thomas Gould: Options, Not a Road Safety Strategy
Transcript
Thank you Cathaoirleach, and I want to thank the Minister for her contribution today and also for meeting with us with the Interim and Deputy CMO. You've gone through all the reasons why this isn't going to work, Minister, and gave very technical details on it, but I think ultimately the principle of what we're trying to achieve here, we can agree on. What we want to see is this go to the next stage where we can have that in-depth discussion. We need to bring the experts into committee, we need to bring people with lived experiences into committee, we need to have this discussion in committee, and that's why we were asking you to support this Bill. I know it is complicated, it is complex, but what women, the 240 women who had to travel for terminations outside the state last year, what they want, they don't want your empathy, they want you to legislate, they want you to make sure that no other woman has to do that, that no other woman has to make the incredibly difficult decision with her family to terminate a baby that is wanted, a baby that is loved. They don't want any other woman to have to make the decision to go to the UK to get the medical care that they require. They don't want any other woman to have to make the decision as to whether to hide her baby in the boot of her car or to tell the ferry or the airport that they're trying to bring their baby home. They don't want any other woman to have to leave their baby in the UK because they are afraid of bringing their baby back into the country illegally, and they don't want any other woman or her family to have to go to Aldi to pick up ice so their baby can get up. They need you to legislate, and I know it's complicated, but that's your job. That is your job, and this is why.