I published this on Indymedia to examine how the Human Fertilisation
and Embroyolgy Act, could through amendment and requested reduction
in the upper limit of abortion impact on women and girls in this state.

 http://www.indymedia.ie/article/86934

Add to that our view of sex education and the privacy issues with regard to
medical information are subsumed beneath the lack of rights of the child.

A girl from reproductive pre-consent (12-17 years old) age has no entitlement
to privacy on our statute. A recent case here which a young teen fought to allow her
travel to the UK for abortion was caught up in legal teams acting on her
behalf and on behalf of the foetus, she was put through a long court
challenge and disallowed the induction in Ireland near her family and
home. A reduced upper limit on abortion would have further mitigated the
stress and trauma she endured because of our dishonest refusal
to accept that a child has rights to privacy and medical aid. She
was viewed as both a woman and co-equal with the foetus though she was
pre-consent. (Consent begins for girls at 17 in Ireland.)
This was known as the Miss 'D' case.

The effect of changes in UK law will be felt in Ireland where maternity
services are at an all time low and where diagnoses of medical conditions
which may allow the option of abortion will severely reduce access for
Irish women.

The Council of Europe recently asked Ireland to decriminalise, to which
a senator of the Fianna Fail party refused. There are a few pro-choice
groups and mailing lists in the Republic:

 http://www.safeandlegal.com
 http://www.choiceireland.blogspot.com


We are in a situation wherein the Irish political representatives do not
answer questions on abortion rights and where the full range of care
in pregnancy services is not allowed because of the big unspoken issue
of abortion. This is causing suffering to many and has done so
for the last sixteen years.