Aontú wants to change the existing 12 week abortion law and the HSE-run pregnancy support helpline, party leader Peadar Tóibín has said.
“Aontú is different to the other political parties in many ways, and the right to life would be one of those. We do want to see change in relation to the law on abortion,” he said on Saturday as his party’s general election candidates met in Dublin.
The Meath West TD said he wants to see changes to the way the HSE-run MyOptions support helpline works. The HSE says the helpline currently provides women with information and support on all available supports and options.
“We would like to make sure there is more investment into MyOptions, so that positive, life affirming options are also offered to mothers,” Mr Tóibín said. “We want to see a situation where doctors and nurses are guaranteed a freedom of conscience.”
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The Termination of Pregnancy Act, which came into effect on January 1st, 2019, provides abortion without restriction up to 12 weeks gestation, subject to a three-day waiting period. Terminations are also permitted after 12 weeks if there is a risk to the life or health of the mother, or in cases where it is judged the foetus will die before birth or within 28 days of birth.
Mr Tóibín said, if in government, his party wants to see changes to the 12 week rule.
“We would change the 12 week rule with regard to children with disabilities,” he said. “You can get a non-invasive pregnancy test that has a 90 per cent accuracy level in terms of whether a child has a disability or not and that is being used currently, according to the masters of the maternity hospitals, in order to identify whether the child has a disability.”
He added: “I’m happy to have a conversation on the issue of abortion for sure, but I will say the issues of accountability, housing, healthcare, transport and regional development are the issues coming up on the door in the main.
“All we are saying is that it shouldn’t be the case, and in many countries at the moment it is not a case, where it is a grounds that a person can have an abortion if a child has a disability.”
A recent review ordered by the State also recommended the removal of the three day wait to access abortion medication, but Mr Tóibín said his party wants to maintain this.
Asked if abortion would be a redline issue in any government formation talks, he said “absolutely the issue of making sure every mother has the economic opportunity to raise her child is a red line for us.”
Mr Tóibín said he would not consider having government formation talks with Fine Gael or the Green Party but would possibly talk to Fianna Fáil because they are “different”.
“Fianna Fáil is a hollow ideological husk. It is much easier to direct Fianna Fáil in terms of governance. They are far more transactional and far less ideological when it comes to government.”
He said Sinn Féin has become a “flip-flop factory” but that if his former party settled on its policy positions he would be open to talks.
Mr Tóibín said Aontú led the charge for a No vote in the family and care referendums earlier this year, whereas other parties had “put their finger in the air” to try guess “what way the wind was blowing”.
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