Day 1 of the *Tell a Fine Gael TD* campaign was a rousing success with pithy, heartfelt, and galvanizing messages being sent to Lucinda Creighton, and during the day Deputy Creighton released her first statement of her intent to support abortion legislation. But there is more work to do to get real abortion legislation on the books, SO Welcome to Day 2 of the ARC Tell a Fine Gael TD campaign where, for 7 days, we will be focusing on one TD a day, telling them in every medium we have available that women in Ireland need abortion legislation and need that legislation to address real concerns, real needs.

Below we have sample tweets, posts, emails, and messages you can send and clinic hours where relevant. Join us in sharing the reality of pro-choice views in Ireland with Cork South-Central TD and Chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, Jerry Buttimer.

TD Jerry Buttimer was close at hand for important FG announcements, election events, and decisions, and we would like to make sure he is overseeing a widespread Fine Gael support for abortion access in Ireland.

As a member of Fine Gael and advocate for health and equality, Jerry Buttimer needs to know, from the people he serves and represents, that access to abortion as an important issue of human rights and equality for the people of and in Ireland, and as such, powerful legislation for abortion that does not require a woman to sacrifice her health or her rights to privacy and happiness to acquire the procedures is vitally important to us. We are calling for less restrictive, punitive, and bureaucratic legislation than the current Heads of Bill for the “Protection of LIfe in Pregnancy Act,” and as Chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, Jerry Buttimer can help us move toward legislation that is better for the women of Ireland.

As the week goes on, we will focus on Fine Gael TDs from different areas, with different views but our main message is the same: We want legislation for abortion, legislation that provides for the health and rights of women, and we want Jerry Buttimer to know that we look to him to support real change to abortion access in Ireland.

Tell Fine Gael TD Buttimer that having access to abortion in Ireland is important to you

Join as we all make the strong pro-choice voice in Ireland heard. Feel free to share your own views and ideas or have a lend of our sample messages that we included with the contact details below.

Jerry Buttimer, TD for Cork South-Central  and Chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, can be contacted in all of the following ways:

1. On Twitter: @jerrybuttimer

He is active on Twitter, and we hope calm, respectful, but insistent messages will reach him there.

Example Tweet: I call on TD @jerrybuttimer to amend legislation and make abortion accessible for all women who want & need it. #ProChoice_ie #TellAFGTD

2. By phone: (021) 4840652

You can ring up his office to either discuss the issue with himself or his staff, or you can leave a message.

Example Message: I am ringing to let Deputy Buttimer know that access to abortion in Ireland is important to me. I want the rights and health of women respected. I want abortion in Ireland, and I call on Deputy Buttimer to support legislation that will all allow women to get the health services they need in Ireland without onerous, bureaucratic barriers.

3. By visiting his clinic hours today:

Friday 12.30 – 13.00 Mahon Community Centre, Cork

Friday 18.00 – 18.30 Togher Community Centre, Cork

4. On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JerryButtimer

5. By email: [email protected]

Example email:

Dear Deputy Buttimer:

I am writing to inform you that access to abortion in Ireland is important to me. I want the rights and health of women respected; I want abortion in Ireland. As a member of Fine Gael and advocate for health and equality, you are in a position to help support that access to abortion as an important issue of human rights and equality for the people of and in Ireland. And as a human rights ally and in your role on the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, you can help create powerful legislation for abortion that does not require a woman to sacrifice her health or her rights to privacy and happiness to acquire the procedure. I want legislation to be less restrictive, punitive, and bureaucratic than the current Heads of Bill for the “Protection of LIfe in Pregnancy Act,” and I call on you to help move toward legislation that is better for the women of Ireland.

Respectfully,

[your name]

Come back tomorrow for Day 3 of Tell a Fine Gael TD Week.