SWP launch abortion referendum vote NO campaign

national | miscellaneous | news report Thursday February 14, 2002 20:32 by SWP - SWP swp at clubi dot ie SWP,PO Box 1648, Dublin 8 018722682

The Socialist Workers Party launched its campaign for a NO vote in the abortion referendum today.

The Socialist Workers Party launched its campaign for a NO vote in the abortion referendum today.
In response to the Taoiseach’s claim yesterday that he does not want to see any liberalising of abortion in Ireland, Sinead Kennedy, spokesperson for the SWP, said
“The Taoiseach’s convictions cut little ice with the Irish women who are faced with the actual decision to have an abortion. The 7000 women who seek abortions each year already makes the Irish abortion rate quite liberal by international standards. More Irish women have abortions than Dutch or Danish women, for example”.
Ms Kennedy was opposed to the outlawing of abortion in cases of rape or suicide, but she said that she also believed that it was a woman’s right to decide herself whether or not she had an abortion.
“We should not imply that women only have abortions because they are suicidal or the victims of rape. The vast majority of abortions happen because women have decided that this is the best thing to do for them. We need to create a political climate that supports these women - not criminalise them.”
Brid Smith, prospective SWP candidate in Dublin South Central said that the €700 needed to pay for an abortion meant that for many women in her constituency having an abortion meant borrowing money.
“As with so much else in Irish life, those who have more money have more choice than those without. It is ironic that the Celtic Tiger was built on the contribution of thousands of new Irish women workers, and this is how the government is repaying them. Ahearn is saying you are able to work, pay taxes, juggle childcare, but not allowed to make the decision about when or if you a child.”
The SWP has produced a pamphlet on abortion Why Irish women must have the right to choose and will be distributing over 100,000 leaflets stressing the right to choose and the need for abortion legislation in Ireland. The SWP vote NO poster shows a pregnant Bertie Ahern and asks what he would do if he was pregnant.