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It has been widely reported this week that the current
Labour Party Chairman Colm Keaveney has stated publicly that he cannot support
the proposed Government legislation on abortion, much to the consternation of his
colleagues and in particular the party leader Eamon Gilmore. An article in the
Galway Independent describes Keaveney as a ‘Renegade’ see below and also
thislink
Renegade Labour Party Chairman Colm Keaveney has this week
voiced his opposition to the Government’s Protection of Life During Pregnancy
Bill.
The Galway East Deputy joins Galway West Fine Gael Deputy
Brian Walsh in publicly stating that he cannot support the proposed bill as it
currently stands, in particular raising concerns that it does not impose limits
on when a termination may be carried out.
Speaking to the Galway Independent, Deputy Keaveney said he
found the absence of time limits on the termination of a viable pregnancy in
the recently published heads of the bill “disturbing”.
He added that both Minister James Reilly and Minister of
State Alex White had confirmed that “in the event of a late term termination of
pregnancy, not an abortion, a proposal would exist that babies would be
prematurely delivered and left, potentially, with a wide ranging set of
disabilities in the care of the State”.
While welcoming aspects of the bill that improve clarity
around emergency treatments where the health of the mother is at risk, Deputy
Keaveney also suggested that politicians who support the legislation as it
stands would look back in two years and ask, “Did we just do that?”
“Because I suspect that the Supreme Court will have a view
when the failure of the bill to adequately balance the rights between the life
of the mother and the child are not fulfilled in the legislation,” he said,
also raising fears that the proposed legislation could “normalise suicide as an
option”.
Labour Youth has called on Deputy Keaveney to reconsider his
position on the legislation, with group chairperson Aideen Carberry pointing
out that Labour has “argued over many years that the X Case judgement needs to
be legislated for, and this explicitly included the threat to the life of the
woman by suicide”.
“Although he is under no obligation to vote in line with the
Labour Party, having lost the whip, we urge [Mr] Keaveney to reconsider his
position on this Bill, and represent the views of the party members who elected
him as their party chairperson,” said Ms Carberry.
Deputy Keaveney has however stood by the concerns raised,
adding, “I’m not influenced by pro-life or pro-choice, I’m influenced by the
public interest. I don’t do slogan politics, this is a very serious situation
that needs critical analysis by the public.”
It has been widely reported this week that the current
Labour Party Chairman Colm Keaveney has stated publicly that he cannot support
the proposed Government legislation on abortion, much to the consternation of his
colleagues and in particular the party leader Eamon Gilmore. An article in the
Galway Independent describes Keaveney as a ‘Renegade’ see below and also thislink
