Minister Eoghan Murphy supports Eighth Amendment reforms
Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has become the second Fine Gael minister to publicly back an Oireachtas committee’s recommendations to repeal the Eighth Amendment and allow unrestricted access to abortions in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Mr Murphy mirrored the views of Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty — and those believed to be held by Health Minister Simon Harris, Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone, and Independent Alliance TDs John Halligan and Finian McGrath — as European Affairs Minister Helen McEntee and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said they are also open to reforms.
Despite Taoiseach Leo Varadkar continuing to decline to outline his own views, Mr Murphy said yesterday that he supports the committee’s recommended reforms.
“We all have our own personal views on this and I won’t have a problem accepting the recommendations of the committee from what I understand to date,” he said.
“For me, I think it’s an issue between a woman and her doctor and I look forward to looking at the report’s recommendations in detail, but from what I understand, I’ll be supporting.”
Mr Murphy’s comments echo those of Ms Doherty, who yesterday said that after travelling a “journey” in recent years, she is now “comfortable in my own skin” in supporting unrestricted access to abortions up to 12 weeks pregnancy.
They also came as Ms McEntee told reporters in Brussels that “we have to trust our women” and that “a lot that was voted on by the committee this week I would agree with”.
Mr Donohoe said while he is in favour of abortion in some circumstances, he would like to take time to examine the recommendations, while Mr Coveney repeated his call for a calm and respectful debate.
The decision by a number of Fine Gael ministers to speak publicly about their views is likely to place further pressure on Mr Varadkar to explain his own position, with the Taoiseach yesterday only saying his views have “evolved”.
Meanwhile, the Government has been warned not to make any attempt to avoid a Dáil and Seanad vote on the Oireachtas committee’s report after Mr Coveney and several Coalition officials said a vote is not yet certain.
After the decision by the committee to vote in favour of repealing the Eighth Amendment and a series of liberalising law reform moves this week, the group’s report is due to be formally published by the Oireachtas on Wednesday.
As outlined in long-standing plans, it is then due to be discussed by the Dáil and Seanad in January before a vote is taken on whether to send it to the Cabinet to assist with next year’s referendum wording.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio’s Today With Sean O’Rourke, Mr Coveney said a decision to hold a Dáil and Seanad vote has not been made, a view repeated by a number of Oireachtas and Fine Gael officials.
However, Sinn Féin health spokesperson and committee member Louise O’Reilly last night told the Irish Examiner such a move “is not acceptable”, would “send the wrong message”, and make a mockery of the committee’s three months of work.
