Courtney McGrail
Dear Editor, Cathal Barry in your edition of March 3 is clearly hoping that Fianna Fáil forms the next government because he feels the majority of that party is not in favour of amending the Eighth Amendment. He also quotes Dr Ruth Cullen of the Pro-Life Campaign as having the same opinion. I would not be too sure. I would like to remind both of them of the advertisement that Fianna Fáil placed in this newspaper on February 24, 2011 shortly before the general election of that year, which stated, under a photograph of Micheál Martin, that “Fianna Fáil’s position on abortion remains unchanged. Fianna Fáil will continue to oppose legislation allowing for abortion in Ireland”. We all know that this promise was broken and that Micheál Martin himself voted with the Government when it introduced the Protection of Life in Pregnancy Act in 2013. This act allowed for abortion in special circumstances. He did allow a free vote and was greatly surprised when the majority of his party voted against the act.
If I were a betting man I would wager that should Fianna Fáil form the next government in an alliance with Fine Gael that the same Micheál Martin will agree to Enda Kenny’s proposal to form a citizen’s assembly and that should this assembly favour amending the Eighth Amendment that both of them will allow a free vote.
Yours etc.,
Harry Quirke,
Kildare,
Co. Kildare.