First TV debate in a weekend of discussion on the airwaves
The first TV debate of the referendum campaign happened on Friday night on The Late Late Show, Ireland’s most watched programme, chaired by host Ryan Tubridy.
Dr Peter Boylan, keynote speaker for Together for Yes, made the point that abortion is already a reality in Ireland, with women going abroad for terminations, or importing abortion pills and taking matters into their own hands. He estimated this to be about 3,000 people a year.
Making the argument for No, broadcaster Wendy Grace warned that removing the constitutional ban would open the possibility of unrestricted abortion, and required voters putting their faith in politicians, who have varying ideas on how much abortion should be permitted.
The discussion then moved to the audience, and two women shared their experiences of the 8th amendment.
Tracey spoke of having to travel to Liverpool for the procedure, after learning that her child had a fatal foetal abnormality. She had to wait two weeks because the clinic was so full of Irish couples. Afterwards, she had to leave without the remains, which were then posted to her. She said, “I should have been looked at home”, and said repealing the 8th would mean her baby Grace could rest in peace.
A second woman called Mary spoke of how she wanted to abort after an unplanned pregnancy in her late teens. A woman at work, who could not have children of her own, told her she was lucky, and encouraged her to go through with it. She also remarked on how seeing the child move during her first scan struck her. “I thought, this is not my body, this is not my choice, this is a child.”
Both women were widely praised for their candor on social media.
Others were more critical of the points raised in the show.
A modern western democracy is actually debating whether pregnant women should be allowed normal human rights or whether they should be reduced to the status of human incubators. This is Ireland #LateLateShow #together4yes
— Mary Buckley (@marybuckley549) April 27, 2018
The lady in the audience from the No campaign’s story was basically that she was going to have an abortion but changed her mind. You can still do that when we #repealthe8th no one will be forced to have an abortion, unlike people are forced to give birth now #latelateshow
— Si Lee 🇪🇺 (@thesymbolic) April 27, 2018
Oh to have the confidence of a journalist from Spirit Radio explaining foetal development to an Obstetrician with forty years experience 🤔 #LateLateShow
— Laura McVeigh (@bernasher) April 27, 2018
There were also powerful testimonies from both sides of the campaign on The Marian Finucane Show on RTE Radio 1 on Saturday morning.
A woman named Carmel told the story of how she and her husband travelled to London for a termination after being told at 21 weeks that her baby had a fatal foetal abnormality. She is supporting a Yes vote so that women like her, whose pregnancies are not viable, can get a termination, and appropriate medical care, within Ireland.
A second woman called Catriona then told of how she became pregnant at 18 while at school, and was contemplating an abortion until her mother persuaded her to change her mind. She got by, and now has four children with her husband. She is advocating for a No vote.
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