During the Irish Labour Party annual conference last weekend Labour leader Mr Eamon Gilmore in his keynote address announced his commitment to a fundamental review of the Irish Constitution if his party becomes a coalition partner in the next Irish Government.
Mr. Gilmore is intent among other things on removing the protection currently afforded to unborn children in the Irish Constitution under article 40.3.3 . Aside from abortion, Mr. Gilmore's constitutional reform plan, according to an Irish Independent article, would also open up a host of contentious issues like the recognition of God, property rights, the definition of the family, gay marriage and the EU.
According to Mr. Gilmore
“[t]here is much about it [the Irish Constitution] that has served us well, but it is a document written in the 1930s for the 1930s”. and in the 1930s “women were considered to be second-class citizens”.
SPUC director John Smeaton in his BLOG writes
Whatever the merits or otherwise of Mr Gilmore's historical analysis, what a sad irony it is that his proposals include going much further than turning a category of Irish people into second-class citizens in 2010. If Mr Gilmore is successful, unborn Irish children will be robbed completely of citizenship, having their most fundamental right, the right to be born, cruelly taken away from them. It is highly misleading for Mr Gimore to attempt to mask a pro-abortion agenda behind the veil of equality for women. Abortion kills unborn females and harms pregnant mothers.
John Brown (brother of DANA Rosemary Scallon) in a press release asks
When will President Mc Aleese speak up to defend Ireland's Constitution? Her oath of office is quite clear, Article 12.8:"In the presence of Almighty God I do solemnly and sincerely promise that I will maintain the Constitution of Ireland and uphold its laws, that I will fulfil my duties faithfully and conscientiously in accordance with the Constitution and the law, and that I will dedicate my abilities to the service and welfare of the people of Ireland. May God direct and sustain me."
The comments by Labour party leader Eamon Gilmore, his promise to rewrite Irelands Constitution if he gets into power, clearly must draw a response from the President, as Mary Mc Aleese previously failed to speak up when Fine Gael's Enda Kenny recently said that he would abolish the Seanad completely. I for one do not believe that these party leaders represent the will of the party faithful, the vast majority of whom value our Constitution, which has served us faithfully.
Ireland's Constitution, in the democratic tradition of Europe and America, is derived, under God, from the people and in its fundamental rights articles, it guarantees the individual citizen freedom, equality and justice. Do you think America would allow the suggested destruction of their constitution - I think not, nor would President Obama sit quiet!
President Mc Aleese has held office over a period that has seen the the Irish people plunged into generations of debt with € billions of taxpayers money pledged to failing banks; cross party political corruption; a ceding of national policy, political and judicial power, citizenship and fiscal control to the EU, all contrary to our Constitution's article's 1 and 5 ; the collapse of our economy and the reintroduction of mass emigration of our young people. .
Why does the President fail to defend and maintain the people's Constitution, yet, she has no problem speaking up in supporting Turkeys application for EU membership? Does she represent the people or the politicians?
In 2004 Dana Rosemary Scallon was denied the opportunity of maintaining Article 12.2:1 of our Constitution, namely, "The President shall be elected by direct vote of the people.", when the Government and ALL political parties joined forces to re-elected their candidate - Mary Mc Aleese. I doubt that Dana would have been silent, following Enda Kenny's or Eamon Gilmore's attack on Ireland's Constitution.
