ELN submission to Citizens' Assembly

European Life Network in a submission to the Citizens' Assembly has appealed for the retention of the 8th amendment and has included a link to the video prepared in conjunction with the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children as set out below

Appeal to uphold and cherish the 8^th Amendment: with video link

European Life Network calls on the Citizens’ Assembly to uphold the 8th Amendment and reject all attempts to legalise the killing of unborn children. In support of this appeal, we have prepared a video presentation (produced in partnership with the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children) featuring Irish people, and people of Irish descent, with specialised knowledge and personal experience of these issues. We ask the Assembly to view this video, available here: 

https://www.spuc.org.uk/news/videos/new/2016/november/act-now-protect-ireland-pro-life-8th-amendment

Despite false claims, the 8th Amendment simply recognises that unborn babies have a right to life equal to that of their mothers. Ireland’s maternal health record, among the best in the world, also reflects the fact that Irish doctors are trained to treat a mother and her unborn child as two equal patients. 

In this presentation, Raymond Cardinal Burke argues that a clause similar to the 8th Amendment should be in the constitution of every nation. He notes the dedication of Ireland’s Constitution to “the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom, is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred”. Through this dedication, Ireland provides a great example of a correctly ordered society.

Dr Patrick Fagan (Director of Marriage and Religion Research Institute) argues that when a nation starts to eliminate pain and suffering by eliminating people, there is no logical place to draw a line. Even limited relaxation of abortion law leads inevitably to widespread abortion. In the UK, the Abortion Act 1967, was not intended to introduce abortion on demand. Fifty years on, more than 8.4 million babies have been aborted. 

Evidence shows that abortion is physically and psychologically damaging, no matter where it takes place. Bernadette Goulding (Director of Rachel’s Vineyard, Ireland) who had an abortion herself, describes the trauma millions of women around the world have experienced following abortion. 

Former MEP’s Dana Rosemary Scallon and Kathy Sinnott highlight the huge international pressure on Ireland to introduce abortion.

Kathy Sinnott contrasts the terminal decline of European states as a result of low birthrates with the situation in Ireland. The repeal of the 8th Amendment would propel Ireland towards a similar demographic collapse. She also argues that seeking to dispose of children with life-limiting conditions or serious disabilities is modern day eugenics. 

Rebecca Kiessling, who was conceived in a violent rape, challenges the inherent injustice of punishing innocent babies for the crimes of their biological fathers.

Cliona Johnson tells the heart-rending story of her son John Paul who lived 17 minutes after birth. Their story offers a truthful and inspiring account of authentic compassion for the most vulnerable of all – unborn babies deemed “incompatible with life”.

Finally, the video calls on the Irish diaspora to speak out now and to encourage the nation to maintain its pro-life culture that is identified and admired worldwide.

Conference, November 12th, Royal Marine Hotel Dunlaoghaire: Protect and Cherish the 8th Amendment

VOTE NO in both referendums on Friday: Kathy Sinnott

Former MEP Kathy Sinnott calls for the Irish electorate to vote NO in the two referendums to be held next Friday.

It is almost 10 years since I sent off my submission for Seanad reform to the Oireachtas committee considering it. My proposals to make the Seanad the vibrant upper chamber it was meant to be and which we so desperately need were simple. Make the Seanad "panels" correspond to cabinet portfolios giving us Senators for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Senators for Finance, Senators for Health, etc. so that they cover all the major areas of government.

To make sure that senators are people who have real expertise and experience in these areas it was obvious that we needed to change the way senators are elected first by holding Dail and Seanad elections on the same day to discourage politicians from running for the Seanad and second by letting all voters qualified to vote for the Dail register to vote for up to three Seanad panels. For example, a farmer who is a parent might want to register to vote for the Agriculture, Food and the Marine panel of senators, the Education and Skills panel and the Health panel. This self selected electorate would vote with interest and knowledge and have a good chance of electing a Seanad which would be what it was meant to be, a non political, independent upper house with a wealth of relevant expertise and experience.

Just imagine how much better the country would have been served when the recession hit if there had been economists  in Leinster House who understood what was going on.

The day I was invited up to the Seanad by Senator Mary O’Rourke to discuss my submission I really thought there was a whiff of reform in the air. Unfortunately nothing happened.

A few years later attending the Constitutional Affairs Committee in Brussels, I could see that abolition not reform of the Seanad was on the cards. The EU federalist gurus of the committee who liked to see themselves as innovators but who always seemed to be apologists for the European Council and Commission were discussing change to governance in member states. They said that with the Lisbon Treaty (not yet ratified at that time) member states would no longer need elaborate legislative structures and that these should be eliminated or pared down.

Applying this to Ireland, and I had no doubt that our obedient politicians would apply it to Ireland,  it obviously meant eliminating the Seanad. After all who wants to reform that which is destined for the chopping block.

Yet, in my opinion, the more the EU and other global bodies encroach the more we needed a well reformed Seanad.

Additionally one of the changes wrought by the proposed Seanad referendum  is to eliminate our right to vote on EU treaties. This is another proposed change that would please the EU institutions which have little patience with us and   find Irish referendums dangerous.

There is another constitutional change that a yes vote would visit on us which is worth highlighting.

As the Constitution now stands a simple majority of the Dail and Seanad can initiate an investigation of alleged judicial mis-behaviour or incapacity with a view to impeachment where the finding indicate. If we vote to abolish the Seanad we eliminate this important safety net and in its place require an unwieldy  two thirds majority of the Dail to open an investigation of a judge’s conduct or incapacity to judge fairly or at all. A two thirds majority puts this provision out of reach in any situation which the government of the day finds sensitive.

This change is clearly not in the interest of the people of Ireland who must rely on the courts for justice nor does it serve judges who understand better than anyone the need to maintain the highest standards in Irish courts.

Even Fine Gael,  Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter has decried this aspect of the proposed referendum on the Seanad as dangerously open to government interference.

For this and many other reasons, I will be voting NO to both referendums on Oct 4th.

Kathy Sinnott

St Joseph

Ballinabearna

Ballinhassig

Co Cork

0872786552, 021 4888374