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The Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy bill has been officially passed.

All of the amendments have been voted and the bill for the 8th Amendment is on its way to Aras an Uachtarain to be signed by Michael D Higgins. 

The bill passed with 27 votes to 5.

The new law will allow abortion to take place up to 12 weeks, and after that  time if there is a foetal abnormality detected or danger to the woman's health.

Minister for Health Simon Harris confirmed the vote passed in a post on social media.

He wrote, ''Just over 200 days ago, you, the people of Ireland voted to repeal the 8th so we could care for women with compassion. Today we have passed the law to make this a reality. A vote to end lonely journeys, end the stigma and support women’s choices in our own country.''

The people of Ireland took to the polls last May to make abortion legal and now it will be from January 1. 

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Dr. Rhona Mahony has pledged that women whose unborn babies have fatal foetal abnormalities will be offered terminations from January at the National Maternity Hospital.

As the hospital's master, Mahony made the claim after it came to light that some maternity hospitals and GPs won't be ready to begin extended abortion services from January.

A spokesman has said that staff are "working to ensure we have a full, safe and compassionate service in place as quickly as possible".

Dr. Mahony's spokesman continued;

"Notwithstanding the outstanding logistical issues, we expect to provide termination of pregnancy in situations of fatal foetal anomaly from January 1."

Minister for Health Simon Harris rejected implications that the January target for abortion services was aligned with politics, and has commented that this claim was 'offensive'.

He added that the services will not be available everywhere straight away, and that it needed time to embed and evolve with the help of clinicians. 

Yesterday, the Seanad continued with their debate on the Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy Bill.

Dr Sharon Sheehan, master of the Coombe hospital, has commented that her new system of service won't be ready by January.

She said; "To ensure the provision of "safe, high-quality, sensitive and compassionate care for women", it is essential to have the finalised legislation in place, an agreed model of care nationally and national clinical guidelines.

She continued;

"There has been extensive work, and that is continuing to proceed at a pace, but they are not ready and we now have only 20 days before this service is to be introduced.

"In my opinion, the country is not ready, and therefore the Coombe is not in a position to deliver these services from the January 1."

The Rotunda maternity hospitals spokeswoman commented that;

"Rotunda Hospital will be complying with enacted legislation providing the appropriate model of care, resources and funding is in place to enable a safe service provision to women".

The Irish Family Planning Association has also said that an exact date of availability for abortion services cannot yet be offered;

"We are still working on a number of outstanding issues. We're working to resolve them as quickly as possible and we're making good progress. We won't delay in providing abortion care once that's done".

The Irish College of General Practitioners and the Institute of Obstetricians are set to meet today for the discussion of clinical guidelines which are seen as essential for doctors.

A 24/7 helpline will hopefully be advertised by the HSE once the legislation is passed for guiding women, GPs and hospitals.

Feature image: BusinessPost.ie

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It has been reported that GPs will receive up to €450 if they participate in the Government’s new abortion service programme.

A source told the Irish Times that the Irish Medical Organisation, HSE and Department of Health met to discuss fee costs for GPs who provide abortion services in Ireland.

It is believed GPs will be given between €400 and €450 for every three appointments with women who want to have an abortion.

Simon Harris has vowed to ensure that abortion services will be free in Ireland. He said the services will be available for all women from all financial backgrounds.

He said he wants the services to be available to everyone who needs them. The Minister for Health said cost should not be a barrier for women who need these services.

The Health Minister confirmed: “Yes, it is my intention that the services will be free.”

Ireland’s constitutional ban on abortion was officially lifted on September 19.

The 8th amendment was removed from the Irish Constitution, as President Michael D Higgins signed the formal repeal legislation.  

The 36th Amendment of the Constitution reads:

'Provision may be made by law for the regulation of termination of pregnancy.'

The Government are hopeful that abortion services will be made available in Ireland from January 1, 2019.

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Health Minister Simon Harris has confirmed abortion services will be free in Ireland. He said the services will be available for all women from all financial backgrounds.

He said he wants the services to be available to everyone who needs them. According to the Irish Examiner, he said cost should not be a barrier for women who need these services.

The Health Minister confirmed: “Yes, it is my intention that the services will be free.”

"I've said from the start that I don't want cost to be a barrier, because if cost is a barrier you get into a situation where one of two things happen, you get abortion clinics to develop or you can see people having to continue to travel,” he commented.

"I want this to be provided as part of our health care system, our public health care system and part of our primary health care system,” he added.

Ireland’s constitutional ban on abortion was officially lifted on September 19.

The 8th amendment was removed from the Irish Constitution, as President Michael D Higgins signed the formal repeal legislation.  

The 36th Amendment of the Constitution reads:

'Provision may be made by law for the regulation of termination of pregnancy.'

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Last month, Ireland voted to repeal the 8th amendment to our constitution which makes abortion in this country illegal. 

Since the referendum vote, the Government has been debating and discussing the best ways to introduce the full spectrum of reproductive rights into our health care system.  

However, one retired priest and author of God Sense or Nonsense Fr Con McGillicuddy took to pen to paper to detail how he felt that mother and baby homes should be reintroduced as the alternative to abortion in Ireland. 

A letter sent in to and printed by The Kerryman local newspaper was photographed and shared on Twitter

'As an alternative to this recurring problem may I suggest that the Department of Health provide an alternative to abortion. It could do so in this affluent age by providing assistance to the women so afflicted – like finance as well as medical and psychological aid.'

'In bygone years a cash-strapped government relied heavily on nuns to labour in mother and baby homes on frugal subsidies to care for mothers and their infants. Health standards were very sub-standard then, resulting in high mortality rates for infants and mothers.'

'The Department of Health could now provide mother and baby homes, with all services included, emphasis on privacy for the women, or provide services for the women who opt to live on their own.'

'When their babies are born, the choice would be to retain their babies or place them for adoption.' 

'A practical and beneficial spin-off would be that infertile couples could adopt 'unwanted' babies in Ireland, sparing them the ordeal of travelling abroad and having to cope with intricate legal restrictions.' 

'Politicians should consider and debate this alternative, as our government seems to be completely fixed on abortion.' 

His letter has caused uproar on Twitter, with many hoping that the piece is a work of satire. 

However, Fr McGillicuddy is known to spend his spare time penning letters to newspapers in a bid to 'uphold the Catholic faith.' 

'It’s like going back in time reading the letter! Decades of abuse – physical, mental, sexual and deplorable treatment of women and babies,' one Twitter user wrote.

This week, the survivors of the Magdalene Laundries united in Dublin to be honoured at Áras an Uachtarán and the Mansion House.

Many of the over-200 survivors, now aged in their 80s, faced brutal, horrendous treatment at the institutions.

'The treatment of vulnerable citizens in our industrial and reformatory schools, in the Magdalene Laundries and in Mother and Baby Homes represents a deep stain on Ireland’s past, a stain we can only regard today with great shame, profound regret and horror,' President Michael D Higgins told the women.  

'It is sobering to consider that many women were also victims of the cruel and degrading regimes of Industrial or Reformatory Schools before being referred to the Laundries, and so many were intimidated into a silence by the abuse of authority of one kind or another,' he said, according to The Journal. 

'Ireland failed you. When you were vulnerable and in need of the support of Irish society and its institutions, its authorities did not cherish you, protect you, respect your dignity or meet your needs and so many in the wider society colluded with their silence.' 

Many have called for the suffering of those in mother and baby homes and other Catholic institutions be commemorated historically in a museum. 

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Police in the North have confiscated abortion pills from pro-choice campaigners after a number of women ingested the prohibited drug outside a Belfast court. 

A number of demonstrators gathered outside Laganside Courthouse on Thursday afternoon to protest against Northern Ireland's strict abortion laws. 

The PSNI seized a remote controlled robot that was designed to distribute abortion pills with the support of two providers, Women on Web and Women on Waves. 

According to the Belfast Telegraph, Eleanor Crossey Malone, from socialist feminist movement Rosa, was one of those who took the pill in front of television cameras.

She said: "I have taken this in defiance of the extremely outdated, mediaeval, anti-choice laws that exist in Northern Ireland.

"We are not willing in the wake of the repeal referendum to be left behind any longer.

"Northern Ireland after repeal will be one of only two jurisdictions remaining in Europe to criminalise women effectively for having abortions.

"We are not willing to accept it any more."

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On Saturday, the people of Ireland voted overwhelmingly in favour of repealing the Eighth Amendment, thus allowing the government to legislate for the legal termination of pregnancy. 

Following the historic result, Minister for Health Simon Harris revealed that the new legal framework to replace the Eighth Amendment will be drafted during the summer, with hopes that it will be in place by the end of the year. 

According to The Herald, the cost of an abortion in Ireland is expected to be somewhere in the region of €300, with medical card holders being able to access the service free of charge.

It's also understood the process will require two or more GP appointments, each of which will be more expensive than a typical consultation. 

Abortion pills, which are expected to be used in the vast majority of cases, will come under the drugs payment scheme, which sets a limit of €134 a month per household for any prescribed drugs or medicines.

As set out in the Government's draft heads of a bill published prior to the referendum, women will be able to request an abortion through a GP or primary care service such as the Well Woman Clinic.

After the initial appointment, they'll be required to wait for a 72-hour "consideration" period. Once this time elapses, they'll return to their doctor for a second consultation where the drug will then be dispensed.

The expected legislation will make abortion available for women who are no more than 12 weeks pregnant. Women won't have to give a reason for their decision and will need a GP to clarify that they are not passed the twelfth week of pregnancy. 

Termination will be allowed past 12 weeks if:

  • The woman's health is in danger or her life is at risk

  • The foetus has not reached viability

  • It is appropriate to carry out the termination of pregnancy in order to advert that risk

As it stands, Irish women who seek abortion services in UK must pay upwards of €510 for abortion pill treatment and €570 for surgical abortion, before factoring in the price of travel. 

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Following yesterday's result which saw Ireland vote overwhelmingly in favour of repealing the Eighth Amendment, many politicians are calling for Northern Ireland's abortion laws to be reformed. 

Speaking to Sky News, Labour's Jonathan Ashworth declared that women in the North "should have the same right" as women living in the Republic of Ireland. 

As it stands, terminations are only available under very narrow circumstances, forcing thousands of women to seek medical care elsewhere in the UK. 

Theresa May is now facing calls to reform the laws in Northern Ireland, acting in the absence of devolved administration. 

However, any changes to the law will likely be challenged by the Democratic Unionist Party's 10 MPs who are strongly opposed to any reform. 

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With less than a week to go until polling stations open on May 25, two opinion polls suggest the 'Yes' side still leads the way. 

Commissioned by the Sunday Times, a poll of 935 people between May 3 and 15 showed a five point increase for those in favour of repealing the Eight Amendment in urban areas. 

A 12 point increase in Dublin means that 67 per cent of voters in the capital plan to vote yes, while 54 per cent of voters in the rest of Leinster plan to do the same.

Meanwhile, a Sunday Business Post poll of a thousand adults between May 10 and 16 shows the 'Yes' side up three points to 56 per cent, while the 'No' side is up one to 27 per cent. 

It seems however that the figures shifted somewhat when people were asked what way they thought their friends would vote. 

Political Editor Michael Brennan, explained:  "Interestingly, Red C – our polling company – has done an analysis asking people how do they think their neighbours or their friends [will vote] and [from] listening to the campaign, what they think the outcome will be… we get a much tighter vote.

"The result from that type of polling – known as the 'wisdom of crowds' – is 56% Yes, 44% No."

The Eighth Amendment referendum will be held on Friday May 25th.

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Ariana Dunne, the CCO here at SHEmazing HQ, has shared her thoughts on the upcoming referendum.

Holding the leaflets in our hands sitting on the steps of Easons on Middle Abbey Street my friend and I cried as our teenage brains failed to comprehend how anyone could murder an innocent baby. The pamphlet we held contained a no holds barred image of a torn and tattered foetus, handed to us by a posse of anti-abortion protestors pitched up with placards outside the GPO.

This was 1996, four years after the failed referendum of 1992 and 6 years before the 2002 attempt. So the reason for this protest was, I can only imagine, to cause controversy, spark debate and shame those who had, or who were considering a termination.

As a 15 year old who’s virginity was still intact I vowed that day that I would never under any circumstances have an abortion. With the distressing images ingrained in my brain I was sure in my conviction that abortion was an abomination and should never be legalised in Ireland.

Fast forward four years and I’m crying again. ‘Don’t worry I’m sure it will be fine’ my friend reassured me as I relayed what had happened the previous evening. A romantic dalliance with a man I barely knew, a split condom, a swift departure and me left to pick up the pieces of all the fears that come with unprotected sex.

Though of course the fear that held precedence was that I may be pregnant with a baby I neither wanted nor was prepared for in any way shape or form. I was in college with a degree forming in my brain while a potential baby formed in my belly and there was simply not enough room inside my body for both to flourish. I had a career planned out, dreams of a life that involved travel and fun and freedom.

Silhouette of Person in Front of Fence

I made an appointment with an emergency doctor, my friend drove me to the clinic, pale faced and shame faced I sat before a stern unkindly doctor feeling judged for my inability to prevent a thin film of rubber from breaking on an appendage that wasn’t even my own.

He prescribed a pill that I had 72 hours to source, pay for and consume in the hopes that I would not face impending motherhood.

My emergency doctor’s appointment had already set me back €80 and I then had a terrifying few days to wait before I could take a viable pregnancy test. My mind raced, recalling from its depths the leaflet I had seen as a teen, but my outrage had shifted.

How dare those people inflict such horrendous imagery on a young innocent. If I was pregnant now there was no doubt I would be on the first boat over to England. Of course I would. I was not fit to be a mother to an innocent baby at this stage in my life, I could barely fathom how I would cobble the fare and the cost of the procedure let alone afford the ongoing cost of an actual living human being.

Thankfully the absence of a single blue line on the pregnancy test I had shamefully bought and secreted away in my handbag from a pharmacy where no one would possibly know me confirmed that on this occasion a pregnancy had not occurred. The relief that swept over me was palpable.

But I was the lucky one and I knew that. So many before and after me have had the dilemma firmly placed in their laps. A lap that then bares the weight of guilt or the weight of a bouncing baby depending on the choice that is bravely made by my sisterhood.

Choice.

That’s the crux.

The choices we make.

beautiful, hands, heart

Fast forward 16 years and I’m now a 35 year old single career woman. A title which seemingly casts me as the wicked witch in this abortion referendum, even by the Yes voters. Articles I’ve read compare the innocent 16 year old who finds herself pregnant with the evil 30 something ‘career’ woman who’s lack of supposed vulnerability inhibits her from making a ‘choice’ we can all agree with.

But in all honestly as my 36th year looms my biological clock ticks louder by the minute. The truth is I have never once seen a double blue line on a pregnancy test and I have taken more than a few throughout the years of sexual accidents and mishaps.

My sacrificial journey to the UK never had to happen. For this I am grateful, but now I also lament the fact that the pregnancy I had always feared never actually happened. If I had a mishap now, single and all that I am, I would not make that fateful lonely journey and I would now choose to keep the baby and do my best to raise a happy child on my own.

In fact if in two years I have still have not found someone to share my life with I will have a child on my own with the help of fertility clinics. If the universe is willing of course. And I will no doubt face judgement with regard to that choice too.

Over my life I have had many choices. I chose to be anti abortion, then I was pro and now I just want everyone to be happy with whatever choices they make with regards to bringing a new life into this world or not as the case may be.

For me on May 25th I will vote. A privilege in itself.

And I will choose choice.

Written by Ariana Dunne.

Don't forget to check the register, and use your vote on May 25th. 

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Scrolling through my newsfeed one night, I noticed that one of my friends had liked a new page. The profile picture was a pair of dolly shoes. I never saw it before, but I instantly understood what it was.

I started to cry.

It has been less than five years since my own crisis pregnancy and I still struggle to find the right way to speak about the 8th amendment. It is so difficult to discuss an issue that will shape the lives of Irish women forever. As a mother, I think about my daughter and how it might impact her life. The landscape is divisive and scary. I had no idea what I was looking for when I thought about how to change this rhetoric that currently surrounds the upcoming referendum.

That night, I realised that the In Her Shoes- Women of the Eighth Facebook page is the answer.

The page is a modern archive of raw and honest accounts by women who have experienced the complex effects of the 8th Amendment. It is not a debating ground, as founder Erin explained when I spoke to her, but simply a platform for women to share their realities with anyone who is willing to read. Each account is accompanied by a photo of a pair of shoes, inviting us to step into their reality for a moment.

On the phone, Erin tells me that her youngest baby is sleeping soundly on her shoulder. I instantly identify with her tone. She is a parent who wants a better Ireland for her little ones; she is hopeful and wary of the next few weeks.

Erin tells me that the idea for In Her Shoes came to her while she was working at a Pro-Choice information stall in her small rural Irish town. She engaged in a conversation with some friendly older men who identified as Pro-Life and had some ideas of why a woman might have an abortion. They were open to hearing real-life experiences. Like all who sit down for a respectful conversation around this issue, Erin realised that, in general, Irish people are empathetic and compassionate. They are willing to see another side of the debate – to hear the effects of the 8th Amendment on real lives. 

The In Her Shoes Facebook page was set up by Erin back in January 2018. She envisaged a platform for a few women to share their personal experiences, but never expected the incredible responses and reactions the page has evoked. To date, there have been over 170 stories shared and there are many more scheduled to post over the next few weeks. Erin started the page on her own but now has a small team of trusted volunteers who help bring these front-line stories to the public. The page has a following of over 59,500.

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These women tell their harrowing and unique tales with bravery. They speak of shattering diagnoses and being forced to travel or to bury their babies across the sea. They recount sexual assaults that resulted in pregnancy and mental torment. They document the reality of being a pregnant child on an island that doesn't seem to care. They are women with disabilities whose pregnancies have put their lives at risk. They are mothers in violent relationships.

They tell sides of the story that most wouldn't even attribute to the 8th, such as the woman who suffered a devastating miscarriage only to be denied aftercare because her scan was unclear; the women with cancer who are denied chemotherapy after becoming pregnant; a woman whose pregnancy would render her blind eventually, but who was denied a treatment because the glare of the 8th amendment terrifies Irish doctors.

The women who contribute come to life on the screen. They are real. They are our mothers and daughters and sisters. They don't appear as countless statistics but as individuals. They travel. They are forced to travel. They choose not to travel. They bleed, they cry and they share.

Many disclose that this is the first time they have told their story. Some of the accounts describe journeys that date back years- years of carrying a devastating secret. Their vulnerability is evident; you can feel the shaking hands and drumming hearts with every word. They confide in Erin and her followers anonymously and ask us to imagine the horror of each situation.

Image may contain: shoes, outdoor, water and nature

Something that struck me was the recurrent vocabulary in these stories of crisis pregnancies, non-viable pregnancies and miscarriages. Images of crashing worlds and ticking time bombs echo throughout the accounts. However, even with imagery so similar, all of these women recount a loneliness like no other. Isolation is an understatement.

Erin describes the sharing process as healing. These women finally know they are not alone as they share and read the stories of others.

Many say they were Pro-Life before they came face to face with the 8th amendment. The experience of a crisis pregnancy or a non-viable pregnancy is not something that can be imagined. The nuances cannot be simulated, and that’s evident from the detail in each story. No pregnancy is the same and all we can do is read, feel and empathise.

Reviews on the page reveal that Erin’s initiative is changing the way people will vote. The mother of 3 tells me that she receives humbling messages daily about how her page has changed the minds of Pro-Life family members. It can be particularly difficult to discuss Repeal with loved ones.

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Despite giving birth to three Irish children, Eirin is an American immigrant and has no vote for her future or the future of her daughters. In the early days, her goal was to convince one person to vote YES, so that her voice would be heard. She recounts a person reaching out to thank her for helping her Pro-Life Granny see the complexity of the issue and how voting no to Repeal is not the solution for a safer Ireland, even if someone is personally against abortion.

The In Her Shoes- Women of the Eighth page demonstrates a stark reality: Article 40.3.3° of Bunreacht na hEireann– the 8th amendment- does not prevent women from obtaining termination services. This much is clear. It allows for the daily export of Irish women’s healthcare and prevents the support that is needed for those with nowhere to turn.

The accounts given are evidence that the 8th amendment impacts every continued pregnancy and childbirth on Irish soil. The article removes the capacity of a person to give consent during pregnancy or even possible pregnancy. This referendum is about so much more than abortion services. It is about safety for all Irish women.

If you or anyone you know is undecided about how to will vote on May 25th, this page is the place to start. If you haven't already done so, click here for In Her Shoes- Women of the Eighth

Article by Anna Murray. 

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The Supreme Court in Limerick has ruled on the Constitutional rights of the unborn.

The landmark judgement stated that the unborn does not have inherent Constitutional rights outside the right to life in the Eight Amendment, overruling the previous of the High Court which stated that babies in the womb could have similar rights to children.

Chief Justice Frank Clarke deliver the judgement in Limerick this morning, saying it was the unanimous view of the court.

This latest development removes a potential stumbling block to the forthcoming Referendum.

It comes after a 10-page document seen by The Irish Times revealed how women seeking abortions will have to wait for a certain amount of time to “elapse” before the medication is administrated.

Orla O’Connor, Director of the National Women’s Council of Ireland, welcomed the ruling:

"The judgement paves the way for a referendum on the Eighth Amendment and will hopefully allow the Government to bring the referendum bill to the Dail this week. From talking to people across the country we know that people are looking for controlled change of our laws on abortion."

"They want to protect women’s health and well-being and ensure that doctors can care for their patients here in Ireland. This is only possible if we remove the Eighth Amendment from our Constitution and allow the Dail to legislate for the provision of abortion care, in line with best medical practice."

The Cabinet are due to hold a special meeting on Thursday to finalise the wording of the Referendum Bill.

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