This week our elected representatives will debate on whether or not to call a constitutional referendum to Repeal the 8th Amendment. They will vote on a Private Members Bill on this issue the week after. Over the next week, we’re asking you to tell your TD to support this bill.
We recently asked you to contact Micheál Martin (FF), Gerry Adams (SF), Joan Burton (LAB) and Leo Varadkar (FG) . We don’t have much time left on this, so now we are asking you to email the TDs in your constituency as soon as you can ask them to vote in favour of the Private Member’s Bill to hold a referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment. Opponents to women’s rights are doing all they can to stop this Bill proceeding so please make your voice heard and let your TD know that you are in favour of repealing the Eighth Amendment and that they should be too.
Thank you all so much for participating in this campaign! We encourage you to share your experiences, messages, and resulting responses here or with us on Twitter or Facebook.
You can use ‘Who is my TD’ to get the contact details of your TD
Sample email:
Suggested Subject Line: Please protect women’s health
Deputy,
I am writing to ask that you vote in favour of the Private Member’s Bill to hold a referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment on the 12th of May and allow it to proceed to Committee Stage. We recognise that the government broadened access to legal abortion in 2013 with the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act – but introducing a law that says a woman’s life has to be at risk of death before she can access a legal abortion is simply not enough.
This could be the final opportunity the government has to better the lives of women in Ireland by safeguarding them against unnecessary risks to their health, and by sparing them the trauma and stigma that accompanies the restrictive laws which force women to travel overseas to access healthcare, or order illegal medication online to take here.
Since election in 2011, Ireland has seen the death of Savita Halappanavar, the Ms Y case and most recently, the heartbreaking case of P.P., a clinically dead woman kept alive artificially against the wishes of her family so that her foetus could be kept alive.
This law is dangerous and the people of Ireland want it changed. In September 2014, a Sunday Independent/ Millward Brown poll found that of those who expressed an opinion, over 75% of people surveyed were in favour of holding a referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. No person under the age of 49 has had an opportunity to have their say on this unfair, unjust and inhumane law. This has to change.
You have an opportunity to to make a real impact on women’s lives right now.
Please ensure the wellbeing, the health, and the dignity of every citizen by voting to repeal the Eighth Amendment. We are depending on you.
Thank you,
