Abortion Referendum- Republic Of Ireland

[Hazi-Hammenuhoth]

Today is the day of the referendum on the Republic of Ireland's abortion laws.

The vote will decide whether to repeal a part of the constitution, known as the Eighth Amendment, which effectively bans non-essential terminations in the country.

Polls opened at 07:00 local time and votes can be cast until 22:00 tonight (Friday).

I wonder how the Irish will vote?

[kvalidir]

If I won the lottery Gness I'd open one on principle and put my Dad and a few other good Irish men on as security :/ They really just need stand down, decisions like that are hard enough as it is x

[gness]

I'd bring lunchtime Guinness, Kval....isn't it awful and sad that there are folk like this.....content to see women and girls suffer.... :-(

[melv16]

I can't see the No campaign taking the result without a fight. I predict that they'll be demos outside abortion clinics. Builders constructing them will be targeted. Staff will be threatened etc.
Take a look at what's happening in America and closer to home with the animal rights mob.

[Islay]

There already is protests - here in Northern Ireland there is a clinic that helps women arrange them and there are protests outside almost everyday scaring anyone that goes in it!
There have also been an incident where a man helped a woman being bullied by them and in turn got bullied himself!

[melv16]

Isn't it about time that both parts of Ireland started washing their own 'dirty linen,' rather than shipping it abroad, especially to England.

[kvalidir]

You could have chosen your words slightly better there Melv to be honest :/

[melv16]

Does 'sorting out their own problems' sound better, kval?

[Islay]

well for a start Northern Ireland is part of the UK and therefore is not shipping anything 'abroad'

[melv16]

You know what I meant by abroad, Islay.
Shall we say sweeping it under the carpet for England to clear up!

[kvalidir]

It avoids the unpleasant paralells of women seeking abortions being labelled as 'dirty laundry', laundries themselves being an emotive and related topic in Ireland, so yes Melv, thank you.

[kvalidir]

...and then you jumped right back to square one :(

[Islay]

Well again as England is part of the UK and the Northern irish have paid towards the NHS England is not having to clear anything up.
Also to be frank that is a tad insulting to us that live in NI.

[melv16]

Sorry, kval. It didn't even cross my mind with the laundry issue.

[kvalidir]

Thank you Melv x

[Cloverjo]

I can't imagine Ireland will suddenly start building abortion clinics everywhere. Wouldn't they just offer the service in existing hospitals?

[melv16]

I do hope that I'm wrong (my post 14-37). But when some people get the bit between their teeth, nothing will stop them. I speak from experience by living in Sheffield and having to endure the tree protests. The man in charge of the felling has resigned due to death threats he's received. Workers have been threatened with violence and spat at whilst trying to do their jobs.

[gness]

That is how it should be, Clover...and I hope it will.....there is a big but though....

The Catholic Church is heavily involved in health care in Ireland. Some of Dublin's largest hospitals are.....or at least were last time I looked...owned by two orders of nuns.

Sterilisation, vasectomies, birth control, IVF were not allowed in these hospitals....

There was a deal going through that a new maternity unit in Dublin would be owned by the Sisters of Charity because they owned the land and were giving it at no cost.....but insisting the unit was run in accordance with Catholic teaching..... I will look at that again....my information may be dated but it shows how much of a hold this church has on the people of Ireland still....
Females could not take part in lung cancer trials because they would need to take the contraceptive pill too.....not allowed in church run hospitals....

I don't think many outside Ireland know just how much involvement the church has in health care......the sooner it's out of it completely the better.....x

[Patsy33]

It's that control thing! They seem to be everywhere with a grip on people. Emotional blackmail!

[ichkeria]

Legislation needs to be passed first.
All this welcome vote does is take abortion out of the constitution

[ethandron]

Is the morning after pill classed as an abortion? I assume it's not been allowed, will it now?
What a wonderful result. I'm ashamed to say I had never heard of the female dentist who died until her name was mentioned. Unbelievable.