A group of TDs within the Dáil are seeking to introduce some amendments to the proposed abortion legislation in a bid to complicate the process for women seeking terminations of pregnancies.
A group of eight TDs, including Independent Mattie McGrath and former Sinn Féin deputy Carol Nolan, have proposed numerous changes to the Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy Bill 2018.
According to Independent.ie, the proposed amendments were announced on the same day that another Sinn Féin TD, Peadar Tóibín a TD for Meath West, voted against the abortion legislation, contrary to the party's whip and was suspended from the party for six months.
The proposed amendments to the Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy Bill 2018 would include "appropriate" steps to avoid causing pain to the fetus as well as seek to make it mandatory for doctors to off mothers the chance to listen to their foetus' heartbeat, if it's audible, during their pre-termination ultrasound. Tóibín stated that the 34% of the electorate who voted to retain the Eighth "should have a voice in the Oireachtas".
As part of their requests for doctors to take every possible step to avoid causing pain to the foetus, they propose that aenesthetic ought be made optionable in situations where the foetus was more than 20 weeks old.
However perhaps the most questionable point of the proposed changes from the predominantly pro-life group of TDs was the provision which would require for the 'dignified disposal' of the aborted foetus by either burial or cremation, surely a needlessly crass and emotionally heavy-handed requirement which glosses over the complexity of the issue as well as the myriad reasons for which someone may require an abortion.
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If doctors do not follow sections of the proposed rules they could face a fine of up to four years in prison. If the changes are included in the bill the move would cause considerable additional emotional distress to women who undergo a termination. The Oireachtas Health Committee will debate the proposed amendments next week as part of the debate surrounding the passing of the bill.
The government hopes that legislation for the termination of pregnancies will be in place from January.
H/T: Independent.ie
