Bríd Smith calls on Zappone, Independent Alliance, Labour and Sinn Fein to support AAA-PBP Bill to hold a referendum on the 8th Amendment

Anti-Austerity Alliance-People Before Profit TD, Bríd Smith, has called on Minister Zappone, the Independent Alliance, Labour and Sinn Fein to support the AAA-PBP Bill to hold a referendum on the 8th Amendment when it comes up in the Dáil in October.

The six AAA-PBP TD’s Bríd Smith, Ruth Coppinger, Richard Boyd Barrett, Paul Murphy, Gino Kenny and Mick Barry have put forward a Bill calling on the government to hold a referendum on the issue of the 8th Amendment. The bill is to be debated in the Dáil on October 25th.

Bríd Smith said that people who signed the pledge by the Repeal 8 Coalition and who, most importantly, marched for choice in September should vote for the AAA-PBP bill because it is the quickest way to repeal the 8th.

Deputy Smith also said that TD’s and Ministers who claim to be pro-repeal should not abandon their principals.

AAA-PBP will be holding a demonstration outside the Dáil on the October 25th so people can put pressure on TD’s to vote for the bill.

She said: “I am calling on Minister Zappone, the Independent Alliance, Labour and Sinn Fein and indeed all who signed the pledge to vote for this bill which calls for a referendum to be held on the 8th amendment. This referendum will be the quickest way to repealing the 8th and it would give all citizen’s the chance to have their say, rather than just the specially selected 99.

“What we are saying is that nothing should replace the 8th. It should be repealed in full from the constitution. The only person who should have a say over what a woman does with her body is the woman.

“I am calling on all pro-repeal people to join us outside the Dáil so that we can put pressure on the TD’s and parties in the Oireachtas to vote for our bill.

“Anyone who does not vote for this bill, who claims to hold a pro-repeal position, is abandoning their principals and letting down women all over this country. Twelve women a day travel outside of this state for abortions. There are also women in this state who cannot afford to travel or who cannot acquire the required travel papers because they are migrants or in the Direct Provision system. We also have the disgrace which is the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill which sentences women who procure an abortion to 14 years in prison. How many more women have to suffer before this barbaric article in the constitution is repealed? Women cannot wait, now is the time for a referendum!”