Tag Archives: childbirth

Activism and Agitation

Review of expert group report from Rte Primetime.

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Reporter Oonagh Murphy reported on the excerpts of the report from the Expert group set up to review the X Case ruling.

http://www.rte.ie/player/ie/search/?q=primetime

It seems that the expert group reports back that the options are to put in place guidelines, legislation or regulations.

Guidelines, which can be put in place quickly can be easily amended but they would have no legal force behind them and would not meet the recommendations of the EU court of human rights.

Legislation would meet the recommendations of the EU courts of human rights, but it will mean time spent drawing them up, time spent debating for it to be passed. Legislation will take more time and has a lack of flexibility in the future as medical advances are made.

Regulations in conjunction with legislation may offer flexibility but will have to be backed with legislation which will allow the regulations to be changed as needed.

It was also reported that the X Case only deals with the risk to the life of the woman rather then the risk to health and as a result cases like those of Savita may not be covered by anything which the government put in place.

Tuesday the 27th of November has been given for the publication of the report.

Activism and Agitation

Do we need to appeal the 8th amendment?

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The reason we are in this mess is 29 years ago when there was pressure to legalise contraception (yes you heard me legalise contraception which happened in 1984) there was a fear as Irish law is case law and precedents that a high court could make a ruling and allow for access to abortion, an Irish Roe V Wade. So we ended up with a bad amendment which even back then legal minds point out could in face result in what it was touted not do to. By constitutional Lawyer Mary Robinson and even in the Dáil by Alan Shatter who is now our Minster for Justice.

So do we need to appeal the 8 amendment and do a better job?
When it was passed Mary Robinson stated that it could lead to putting the lives of women at risk as she was on the side which opposed the amendment.

Constitutional lawyers William Binchy (Pro-Life Amendment Campaign) and Mary Robinson (Anti-Amendment Campaign) debate the legal implications of the result of the referendum on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution on a Today Tonight Referendum Results special, 8 September 1983.

She pointed out that the term ‘unborn’ was not a legal term and that there would be test cases against the amendment as it was ambiguous. She was right, and women have been paying the price for the last 29 years and it’s time we repealed the 8th amendment.

Activism and Agitation

SOLIDARITY REQUEST : if you are outside Ireland how to get involved.

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SOLIDARITY REQUEST:

Protest the death of Savita Halappanavar in Ireland

PLEASE SIGN AND SEND THE E-MAIL BELOW TO THE FOLLOWING:

To: Taoiseach Enda Kenny (Irish Prime Minister)

cc: Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore (Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs)

E-mails:

taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie

enda.kenny@oireachtas.ie

eamon.gilmore@oir.ie

Copy also to the Irish Embassy in your country. Find contact details here:
http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=285

Re: Death of Savita Halappanavar in Galway

Honourable Taoiseach,

We are writing to you to express our concern about the recent death of Savita Halappanavar, who was repeatedly denied an abortion in Galway. This tragic case demonstrates once again that the prohibition of abortion in Ireland is not just undermining the autonomy of the women across the country, it is leading to unacceptable suffering and even death.

Savita Halappanavar made repeated requests for an abortion after presenting at University Hospital Galway on 21 October while miscarrying during the 17th week of her pregnancy. Her requests were refused, and she died one week later after several days in agonising pain and distress.

The situation of Savita Halappanavar provides the clearest possible evidence that laws that permit abortion only to save the life of a woman, such as the Irish law, are clinically unworkable and ethically unacceptable. There are numerous clinical situations in which a serious risk posed to a pregnant woman’s health may become a risk to her life, and delaying emergency action only increases that risk. There is only one way to know if a woman’s life is at risk: wait until she has died. Medical practitioners must be empowered by law to intervene on the grounds of risk to life and health, rather than wait for a situation to deteriorate.

You will be aware that the European Court of Human Rights, as well as a number of United Nations human rights bodies, have called upon the Irish government to bring its abortion law in line with international human rights standards. Had these calls been heeded before now, the death of Savita Halappanavar would have been prevented.

With the death of Savita Halappanavar, Ireland joins the ranks of countries worldwide where abortion is denied to women and leads to their deaths.

We call on your government to take urgent and decisive steps to reform the legislation that led to the death of Savita Halappanavar. Until the Irish legal system is reformed the lives, health and autonomy of women across Ireland are in jeopardy.

Yours faithfully,

Activism and Agitation

Galway Pro Choice Were Approached by Savita’s Friends

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For Release: Galway Pro Choice Were Approached by Savita’s Friends

As was made clear by Sarah McCarthy of Galway Pro Choice on last night’s Prime Time programme on RTE, Galway Pro Choice were approached by the friends of Savita Praveen Halapannavar on 3rd November 2012. They came to us before going public with her story. Their only wish was to try to make sure that what
happened to Savita would never happen to another woman again in Ireland.

After an initial phone call on 3rd November from a friend of Savita and Praveen’s, Savita’s friends sent Galway Pro Choice an email containing more details of the case. A meeting between Galway Pro Choice and approximately ten of Savita’s friends then took place, during which they explained the facts of the case as they saw them. They believed that a termination may have saved Savita’s life. They requested the assistance of Galway Pro Choice in deciding how to proceed.

Galway Pro Choice presented Savita’s friends with a number of options, including the option of not releasing the story at all. The option of releasing the story anonymously, without a name or place being mentioned, was also discussed. However, Savita’s friends and her husband Praveen felt that going fully public with the tragic story of Savita’s death was what they wanted to do in order to bring home to the public how Ireland’s abortion laws can place pregnant women in danger. A phone call between Galway Pro Choice and Savita’s husband Praveen, in India, also occurred, in which Praveen reiterated his desire to go public with the story.

Galway Pro Choice then put Praveen and his friends in touch with the Irish Times. We explicitly made clear to Praveen and his friends that if they were uncomfortable in any way, at any stage, with any of our activities they should just say so and we would immediately do what they wished. We have informed them in advance of all of our planned activities so far, and they have been supportive of all of them. Savita’s friends were present at the candlelit vigil we held on Saturday in Galway, and expressed their amazement that anyone could say that we were ‘taking advantage of’ or ‘hijacking’ the tragedy of Savita’s death.

Now that these facts have been made clear, any and all implications by anti-choice campaigners or politicians to the effect that Pro-Choice groups are taking advantage of this tragedy should stop. If they do not, they must be interpreted as deliberately misleading statements. As well as being false, they are offensive and potentially upsetting to Savita’s family and friends.

Galway Pro Choice would also like to make the following points:

– We must legislate on the X Case immediately; Government statements that it will take months to get legal clarity are unacceptable.

– Minister for Health James Reilly must instigate a fully independent public inquiry now.

– The Expert Group Report should be released to the public immediately.

– The only way to safeguard the health of pregnant women in Ireland is to guarantee access to free, safe, and legal abortion for all women.

We will be holding a public meeting this Thursday, 22nd November, at 7:30pm in the Harbour Hotel in Galway on the urgent need to legislate for the X Case. Speakers include Clare Daly ULA TD; Mary Smith, a retired midwife and pro-choice activist, and Ailbhe Smyth, former Head of Women’s Studies at University College Dublin, and women’s rights activist. Sarah McCarthy of Galway Pro-Choice will chair the meeting.

On Saturday, December 1st we will be hosting a national demonstration in Galway on the need to immediately legislate for the X Case. The demonstration will assemble at the Spanish Arch at 2pm.

For more information email us at prochoicegalway@gmail.com or call 0860621503 or 0877060715.

Yes Pro Choice groups did know about Savita’s death before the newspapers were published and they respected the family’s requests.

Activism and Agitation

Legislate for X reply from Joan Burton

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Herself and no one from her offices responded to my initial email send on the 2nd of November, but responded to the one I send yesterday.

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 13:17:28

I wish to acknowledge and thank you for your recent email in relation to the tragic and dreadful story of Savita Halappanavar, the 31-year-old dentist who died from septicaemia in NUIG after being refused a termination when miscarrying.

First and foremost, this is a human tragedy, and all sympathies should be extended to her husband Praveen and her family who are now grieving.
Investigations are being carried out the by hospital’s risk review group and the HSE’s National Incident Management Team as well as by the coroner in Galway. In other words, we don’t know the full circumstances of the case, and we should resist the temptation to get drawn into coming to conclusions in absence of all the facts.

That does not mean that we can or should avoid considering this case in the context of the X Case and of the report of the Expert Group that was established by the Government.

This issue has been with us now for 20 years and this is the first Government that has decided that were are going to deal with it. We put place a process, an Expert Group chaired by Judge Ryan to address all of the issues, to make recommendations to us. That Expert Group looked for an extension on the period of time they needed to consider the issues. It is a complex and sensitive area. They have now completed their work, submitted their report to Minister for Health and will be presented to Cabinet once the Minister has considered its contents. Whether the Expert Group recommends legislation or regulation, we will not ignore it. Legal clarity is required on this issue.

The Programme for Government negotiated by both Labour and Fine Gael on forming government contains the following commitment:
“We acknowledge the recent ruling of the European Court of Human Rights subsequent to the established ruling of the Irish Supreme Court on the X-case. We will establish an expert group to address this issue, drawing on appropriate medical and legal expertise with a view to making recommendations to Government on how this matter should be properly addressed.”

Tackling the issues around the X Case is a complex matter and while Deputy Daly’s Private Members Bill was welcome in facilitating debate, it was not without flaws.
There were number of concerns around the detail and drafting of the Bill that lacked clarity and that could have caused confusion. The Bill was therefore not appropriate as a basis for addressing the many complexities in this area.

Yours Sincerely
Joan Burton TD
Minister for Social Protection
Constituency Office

Activism and Agitation

Maternal death – into the great unknown – The Medical Independent

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Maternal death – into the great unknown – The Medical Independent.

The 2005 WHO report acknowledges the difficulties surrounding data collection in some countries. According to the report, “even in developed countries where routine registration of deaths is in place, maternal deaths may be underreported, and identification of the true numbers of maternal deaths may require additional special investigations into the causes of deaths”.

“We are not saying that Ireland is the only country that has problems with data collection but we are absolutely sure that Ireland has problems in that respect,” Dr O’Hare said.

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Irish Choice Network.

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I’ve been prochoice from my teens and have been a pro choice activist for the last 20 years.

It hasn’t been easy at times, I have easily been called a ‘baby murderer’ a thousand times.
I’ve given information to women, I’ve sent them to where they can get real information and real help and not be held hostage by pro life agencies.

This year has seen a resurgence of pro choice activism, many more people are saying out loud and to other people that they are pro choice. They are breaking that taboo, women are sharing their stories, we are making Art and making sure we are heard.

One of the meetings I went to (which I wrote about here) resulted in the setting up of the Irish Choice Network http://www.irishchoicenetwork.com to forge links between the many different pro choice groups around the country.

It has been wonderful to work with and draw inspiration from to learn and share with so many pro choice people.
It is empowering to see people who want the make our country a better place. Unfortunately our efforts didn’t come soon enough to put in place the legislation which would have saved Savita Halappanavar.

How ever we will fight on and the more people join us to the better, the line had been drawn please join us.

http://www.irishchoicenetwork.com

Activism and Agitation

Vigils and Protests happening via Irish Choice Network.

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http://www.irishchoicenetwork.com/1/post/2012/11/vigils-and-protests.html

Today:

Dublin

https://www.facebook.com/events/306835169430369/

PROTEST at Savita’s death – Legislate for X case now
Public event · By Pro-Choice Campaign Ireland
Today 18:00
Legislate now for X!

Join us at the Dail, Kildare Street from 6pm on Wednesday 14th November.

Cork

https://www.facebook.com/events/218194501646236/

Candlelight vigil in memory of Savita Halappanavar
Public event Today 19:00
Cork Opera House, Emmet Place.

London
http://feministevents.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/protest-at-irish-embassy.html

In light of the death of Savita Halappanavar, there is a protest outside the Dail tonight by an Irish pro-choice group. In solidarity with the group, and to express our own shock and anger at the death of Savita Halappanavar, there will be a London-based pro-choice protest tonight. This will be at 6pm, at 17 Grosvenor Place, SW1X 7HR.

Saturday:

Galway

https://www.facebook.com/events/111469712349997/

andlelit Vigil for Savita
Public event · By Galway Pro-Choice
Saturday 17:00
Eyre’s Square.

Dublin

https://www.facebook.com/events/243742145755096/

No more tragedies. Legislate NOW.
Public event · By Action On X
Saturday 16:00

From the Garden of Remembrance to the Dáil, where we will hold a candlelight vigil in conjunction with Galway Pro-Choice to grieve Savita’s unnecessary death