Tens of thousands of of pro-life supporters took part in the annual ‘Rally for Life’ march in Dublin last week.
It was organised by groups who want to preserve the Eighth Amendment.
Article 40.3.3 of the Irish Constitution, known as the Eighth Amendment, was voted into the Irish Constitution by referendum in 1983.
The amendment states: ‘The states acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.’
In June, on his first day as the Taoiseach (Prime Minister), Leo Varadkar, announced that Minister for Health, Simon Harris, is to begin preparing legislation for a referendum on repealing the eighth amendment.
Niamh Ui Bhriain of the Life Institute, one of the organisers of the march, said the march was the “real Citizens’ Assembly”.
She was alluding to the 100-strong ‘Citizens’ Assembly’ created by the Irish Government which did not contain representative from 10 of the twenty- six counties it was selected to represent,
“This is not like a handpicked outfit, you know, put together to get a preordained outcome,” she said.
The introduction of the assembly had been criticised by pro-choice campaigners as well. They saw it as a way for the government to put-off calling a referendum.
In April, the Citizens’ Assembly recommended that abortion should be legal in Ireland without restriction up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. On Thursday, the Assembly published additional recommendations about sexual health education and reproductive healthcare services.
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