Sharon Keogan: Warns of slippery slope after three-day repeal
Sharon Keogan responds to the Sinn Féin bill to remove the three-day waiting period for abortion, expressing sadness at its passage and concern about government inaction. She argues the change risks eroding safeguards and says the reform reflects the influence of a vocal minority rather than broad public demand.
Sharon Keogan adds her voice to comments from other senators following the passage of the Sinn Féin bill to eliminate the three-day waiting period before receiving an abortion. She expresses sadness at its approval and concern that the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste have stepped back on the issue.
Keogan contends there is no solid evidence of broad public demand for this reform and argues many who voted Yes expected abortion to be permitted only in moderate, reasonable circumstances. She criticises Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil for appearing to cave to a loud but small segment of society rather than reflecting wider democratic feelings.
Keogan warns that removing constitutional protection and regulating abortion by statute risks a gradual erosion of safeguards, a trajectory she and others feared after the repeal of the Eighth Amendment. She calls Sinn Féin's timing cynical, accuses it of listening to left-wing ideologues over its broader membership, and warns this approach may have electoral consequences.
Reaction to the bill
Sharon Keogan adds her voice to comments from other senators following the passage of the Sinn Féin bill to eliminate the three-day waiting period before receiving an abortion. She expresses sadness at its approval and concern that the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste have stepped back on the issue.
Public opinion and mandate
Keogan contends there is no solid evidence of broad public demand for this reform and argues many who voted Yes expected abortion to be permitted only in moderate, reasonable circumstances. She criticises Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil for appearing to cave to a loud but small segment of society rather than reflecting wider democratic feelings.
Slippery slope and political consequences
Keogan warns that removing constitutional protection and regulating abortion by statute risks a gradual erosion of safeguards, a trajectory she and others feared after the repeal of the Eighth Amendment. She calls Sinn Féin's timing cynical, accuses it of listening to left-wing ideologues over its broader membership, and warns this approach may have electoral consequences.
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Transcript
and I'm deeply... so I want to add my voice to the comments made today by Senator Rona Mullen and Senator Gallagher and O'Reilly and McCarthy on the new bill brought in by Sinn Féin to eliminate the three-day waiting period before receiving an abortion and to express my sadness on its passing last night. With the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste standing back on this issue I have to say it's very worrying. It's worrying because there is no real evidence that there is broad public demand for this reform. In fact I believe that most Irish people, even those who are in favour of abortion, believe that there is a need to reduce it and many who voted yes in the referendum only did so with the assurance that they would allow it in moderate and reasonable circumstances. But instead I believe the leadership of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are caving in to allow a loud but small group of people, a group who are privileged to be disproportionately represented and present in higher echelons of society and politics and do not reflect the popular democratic feelings. I'm deeply worried about this because it's exactly what many of us who supported the Eighth Amendment feared and warned about, that once this issue of abortion was taken out of the Constitution and put into statute we would see a slow continual group and erosion of any safeguards or measures to reduce abortion and find ourselves on a slippery slope towards total unlimited abortion access. I must say that there is something quite cynical in Sinn Féin bringing this forward so soon after such a similar bill by the Social Democrats fell through. Of course they're entitled to do so but just because it's permitted doesn't mean it's right. Unlike the government party Sinn Féin also appears to be listening to the loud but minority left-wing ideologues within its ranks and not to its broader Catholic, nationalist and pro-family membership and voter base. In this bill both the government and the left opposition appear more content in copying their English counterparts in Stormer's Labour than in doing the right thing by the Irish people and they will not forgive them come the next election.