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8th amendment

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The Dáil will today continue to debate the recommendations of the Oireachtas committee's report on the Eighth Amendment.

The Government have agreed to draft a Bill that would allow a referendum on the Eighth Amendment to take place.

The wording of that bill has not been finalised.

Yesterday, the majority of speakers in the Dáil and the Seanad were in favour of repealing the amendment, according to RTE. 

Most agree to allowing unrestricted access to terminations up to 12 weeks.

The discussions will continue today. 

The Taoiseach is said to be awaiting the final wording of the bill before revealing his stance in the issue.

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80 percent of Irish people would vote yes in a referendum to repeal the the 8th amendment, according to a study by Amnesty International Ireland.

The data gathered in a study of over 1000 people across all genders, social classes and counties showed that Irish people are in favour of repealing the 8th amendment, with only 12 percent saying that they would vote no should a referendum occur. 

"The concept that abortion rights is a deeply divisive opinion is nonsense." Colm O'Gorman, Executive Director of Amnesty International Ireland, told SHEmazing!

"Remarkably few people refuse to answer or don't know either, the data shows that overwhelmingly people are very progressive." 

"Only 5 percent of people are personally against abortion."

Red C and Amnesty International "Public Attitudes Towards Abortion in Ireland"

"The parties cannot pretend this is a divided or divisive issue."

"Our poll clearly shows that support for expanding access and repealing the Eighth is shared strongly right across the country and all age groups and social groups. People in Ireland are clear on the need to expand access to abortion and they want women’s and girls’ human rights to be respected."

The poll also shows that almost three quarters of people agree that the fact that women must travel abroad to access abortion unfairly discriminates against women who are unable to or cannot afford to travel. 

Red C and Amnesty International "Public Attitudes Towards Abortion in Ireland"

The study reveals that 55 percent of people agree with the United Nation's Human Rights Committee, and think that Ireland's abortion ban is "cruel and inhumane."

Another key finding was that almost three quarters, 72 percent, believe that the Government should hold a referendum to allow people to vote on whether or not to remove the 8th amendment from the Constitution. 

Two-thirds of people also believe that it is hypocritical that Ireland’s constitution bans abortion in Ireland but allows women to travel abroad for abortions.

 Red C and Amnesty International "Public Attitudes Towards Abortion in Ireland"

Even among the aforementioned 5 percent of respondents personally opposed to abortion in all circumstances (i.e. even where the woman or girl’s life is at risk), 34 percent would vote to repeal the Eighth Amendment, rising to half if there was legislation placing “reasonable restrictions” on access to abortion.

"This poll demonstrates yet again, that on the issue of abortion, Ireland’s people are way ahead of their political leaders," said Colm O'Gorman, 

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The Citizens' Assembly is hosting a formal debate between pro-life and pro-choice speakers this afternoon, as the assembly continues to reconsider Ireland's controversial constitutional restrictions on abortion.

Today's meeting is the second of four that will focus on how the 100 randomly selected members should advise government legislators later this year, on the future of the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution.

The randomly selected members will hear talks from academics and medical, legal and ethical practitioners on various topics including fatal foetal abnormalities.

Ireland’s Catholic Bishops and the pro-life side have both criticised the assembly's use of the term "fatal foetal abnormalities" in its agenda for the meeting.

A bishops' spokesperson told RTÉ that the term normalises abortion and de-personalises the life of the foetus. 

Individual case studies will also be discussed, including that of Amanda Mellet who received €30,000 in compensation from the Irish Government, after the United Nation's Human Rights Committee ruled that Ireland's ban on abortion was "cruel and inhuman". 

Over 13,000 public submissions were made to the Citizens' Assembly ahead of the meetings, after online campaigns from both sides encourage the public to get involved. 

The proceedings will be streamed on citizensassembly.ie.

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