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Updated, 6.50pm
RUTH COPPINGER HAS said that it’s because of “sell-out Independents” that the AAA-PBP bill requesting a referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment will be rejected.
Earlier today, the Government took a unified position on the bill, agreeing collectively to not accept the bill until the Citizens’ Assembly has finished its work.
The Government has also agreed to put forward a reasoned amendment to the bill.
Speaking on the Dáil plinth today, Coppinger gave this strong statement about Independent TDs in Government, flanked by her AAA-PBP colleagues:
This is a sell-out and betrayal by the Independent Ministers like Katherine Zappone, John Halligan and Shane Ross.
“Ministers, who said they are in favour of repeal, will line up and vote as part of the government against repealing the Eighth Amendment. They are putting their ministerial seats before the health and lives of women.
This vote will guarantee that no referendum will take place during the lifetime of this government.
“By the time the Citizens’ Assembly reports back, the Oireachtas Committee sits and then a bill is passed through both houses, the earliest opportunity for a referendum will be late 2018 or early 2019, by that stage this government may not be in power. They have sent a clear message to women telling them they can continue to wait.”
Bríd Smith also weighed in, saying:
“I am absolutely furious with the ‘so-called’ Independents who are co-operating with Fine Gael to practically ensure that the Eighth Amendment is not dealt with in the lifetime of this Government.
To fob us off with the reliance on the adjudication of a Citizens’ Assembly of 99 people is not good enough. It is undemocratic.
“It prevents thousands of young people who never had a chance to vote on abortion or women’s bodily autonomy from having their say on the Eighth.”
The bill is due to be debated in the Dáil tonight.
Citizens’ Assembly
The Programme for Government, agreed by the coalition in the wake of lengthy talks, said the Eighth Amendment issue would be dealt with by convening a Citizens’ Assembly.
In a statement today, a spokesperson said that there were different views in Government around the issue of the Eighth Amendment, but Cabinet had agreed that the Citizens’ Assembly should be allowed to finish its work.
The Assembly is expected to give its report on the issue in the first half of next year. The report will then be referred to a special Oireachtas Committee which will be asked to respond to its findings within in six months.
Government TDs will be given a free vote on the matter once the Citizens’ Assembly has reported back.
Speaking this afternoon on RTÉ’s News at One, Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone – who is in favour of repealing the Eighth Amendment – said that she and her Cabinet colleagues had come to “mature” decision.
“I think we’ve come to very mature decision in terms of how to agree,” she said.
The minister said that the Government was not “technically opposing the bill” but inserting an amendment so that the Citizens’ Assembly could finish its work.
“I am anxious that we ensure that the process goes as quickly as possible,” she said.
The Eighth Amendment
The Eighth Amendment to the Constitution grants the equal right to life of to the mother and the unborn child, effectively making abortion illegal except in very rare circumstances.
The AAA-PBP bill had been contentious, with members of the Independent Alliance in Government initially wanting a free vote on the matter.
The Government was keen to avoid a similar situation as had occurred with Independents 4 Change TD Mick Wallace’s bill earlier in the Dáil term.
Wallace had put forward a bill which would have allowed for abortions in situations where a child would not live outside the womb.
The bill failed to pass, but it was backed by Minister for Transport Shane Ross and junior ministers John Halligan and Finian McGrath, who voted against government advice.
They need to put a fence in the middle reserve to stop rubberneckers and put that toll money to some use. It’s a joke there is even a toll on that road.
@Mark Jones: exactly their should no toll on the M50 the motorist getting ripped yet again.
@Mark Jones: that is what is done many places in UK, whenever there is an incident.
It covers up / fences off the vehicle(s) so nothing is visible => reduces the cumulative rubbernecking time, thus speeding things up.
I’m surprised it hasn’t been implemented in Éire.
Rubberneckers are a scourge on society – they need more visual entertainment in the daily lives.
Can someone buy the Gardai some new cameras!
All motorway drivers should have to complete an online awareness course before being allowed onto a motorway.
For example my neighbour is 80 years old and she is driving legally. She got a licence before driving tests were brought in and today she can legally drive on the M50.
That’s wrong on so many levels.
I can do the M50 run in 12 parsecs…….if im going the opposite direction.
(not rubber necking at the eejit that caused the crash)
Must have been some smash to block 3 lanes with debris
Photo taken by gardai on a potato camera!
If rubber-neckers are ruining your day, start beeping at them to move on. At some point you will be behind the car that has slowed down to look, beep them, I do it, ive really cheesed off some folks, even one trying to take a photo once… Just do it, I never understand why there aren’t a sea of car horns sounding at a crash on the opposite side to move rubber neckers on. Change your behaviour to change others behaviour.
Why are crews not on stand by to clear accidents from our motorways. Surely with modern technology there is no need to close them to investigate an accident.
This situation is being caused by the cyclists breaking red lights. It might seem unlikely but a review of the facts cannot be ignored.
@Platypus Parcel: I’m famously no fan of cyclists, but can you show how “This situation is being caused by the cyclists breaking red lights”. It is a problem in town but do you have evidence it contributed to the “situation” here?
@Tom Purcell: Everytime a cyclists breaks a red light the drivers adjacent look at them and shake their head and roll their eyes. This improves neck muscles and peripheral vision.
These improved abilities allow drivers to ‘rubberneck’ on the motorway thus causing tailbacks.
quod erat demonstrandum
@Platypus Parcel: wise
@Platypus Parcel: there are no cyclists on the M50.
@Conor O’Sullivan: That’s because there are no red lights to ignore, zero sport, zero bipedal motion.
@Platypus Parcel: read the title of the article: “Very heavy delays after commuter crash on the M50″. It concerns the M50 – on which there are no cyclists.
@Conor O’Sullivan: The north-bound lane of the M50 isn’t as slow as you.
We have some desperate Drivers here in Ireland.Every day on the M50 they are speeding and driving up your ass.Accidents happen every single day on this motorway. Put cameras in and it will stop it like they did in the port tunnel.
They really must do something quick.
It WILL work.
@Gerry Fallon: probably coz many are guilty of lanehogging on the M50. Keep to the left and no one will be ‘driving up your ass’. Motorway driving skills are clearly lacking in Ireland.
@Gerry Fallon: I was tailgated on the M1 going northbound last Saturday evening, there was no room for me to manoeuvre as the lane I was in was chockerblock as were the other two lanes. The guy behind me just would not move back, it was very scary and my children started to cry with fear. He was so close I could only see his windscreen in my rearview. This is unacceptable behaviour.
@Frank Cauldhame: a tip of the breaks would of filled his car with the smell of manure!!
@Tony Harris: I was tempted Tony but I had three children in the car with me.
I was wondering why the north bound traffic was so light this morning.
Gardaí to attend funerals in respect initiativehttps://www.rte.ie/news/leinster/2018/0528/966681-funeral/
A joke this road is, something needs to be done. Either don’t let anyone on it till they have been tested on it or make everyone resit their test every few years
Please think before you comment especially when you haven’t got the facts. The driver was driving in the left lane and is a very good driver and he doesn’t need lessons to know how to drive on the M50. You might want to bare that in mind before you so freely give your opinions next time round.
People who play with their own faeces. Or rubberneckers for short.
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