Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013, Abortion, Peadar Toibin TD

Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013, Abortion, Peadar Toibin TD

Peadar Toibin TD has stood firm in the face of immense internal party pressure to vote with the Sinn Fein leadership in relation to the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013.

Toibin has received overwhelming support from his constituents in Meath West, who believe that the northern leadership of Sinn Fein has lost touch with reality and are unable to make anything other than populist judgements based on tabloid headlines. Many are calling for Toibin to stand at the next General Election as an independent republican and break with the northern lead Sinn Fein grouping in Dail Eireann.

Sinn Féin has suspended its Meath West deputy Peadar Toibín for six months after he went against the whip on the abortion vote.

Mr Toibín voted in favour of an amendment to remove the suicide clause from the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013 during the debate on the legislation last night. The amendment was rejected by the Government.

Shortly after the final vote on the Bill, Sinn Féin whip Aengus Ó Snodaigh confirmed Mr Toibín had been suspended from the parliamentary party for six months.

Mr Toibín has already been removed as the chair of the Petitions Committee due to his opposition to the party’s position on the abortion Bill.

In a statement Mr Ó Snodaigh said: “Sinn Féin has supported the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill and all Sinn Féin TDs were mandated to vote for this legislation.

“The decision this evening by Peadar Toibín TD to vote against the Sinn Féin position is a serious breach of party rules.

“As a consequence Peadar Toibín has been suspended from Sinn Féin for six months with immediate effect.”

Abortion Bill, Peadar Toibin TD, Sinn Fein, Fine Gael, Fianna Fail

Abortion Bill, Peadar Toibin TD, Sinn Fein, Fine Gael, Fianna Fail

Peadar Toibin TD has stood firm and voted against the second stage of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill, there was strong support for Mr Toibin in his home county:

“It is great to see a politican standing up for what he believes in rather than following the leadership like a sheep to the slaughter”, Mary (Navan).

“Shame on those TDs who voted for their big salaries rather than voting to protect innocent children”, John (Slane).

“I know TDs who are genuinely opposed to the Abortion Bill, and yet they voted for it, shame on them” Bernadette (Johnstown).

“This Bill is about murdering unborn children for convenience, it is shameful, while I might not vote for Peadar Toibin at the next election, I will never vote Fine Gael again”. Margaret (Kentstown).

“The saving of a life is a matter for the professionals on the day, this Bill allows for an abuse of our constitution to such an extent that an Irish child can be murdered on a whim, fair play to Peadar Toibin, he should be an indepenednet and get away from people like Gerry Adams who has no respect for human life” Marcus (Ashbourne).

Four Fine Gael TDs and a Sinn Fein TD have defied their party whip to vote against the second stage of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill.

The Government won the vote by 138 votes to 24. Fine Gael TDs Terence Flanagan, Peter Mathews, Billy Timmins and Brian Walsh voted against the Bill, as did Sinn Fein’s Peadar Toibin.

The Bill allows for abortion in Ireland in limited circumstances, including a risk to the life of the mother due to suicide.

Minister of State Lucinda voted for the second stage of the Bill. She indicated in her Dail speech yesterday that she hoped there would be substantive amendments to the legislation at committee stage, which begins this evening.

A number of Fianna Fail TDs voted against the legislation along with several independent TDs including Michael Healy Rae, Mattie McGrath, Michael Lowry and Noel Grealish.

The Bill is to go for a second reading before a Dáil subcommitte on health this evening.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny had faced the defection of several Fine Gael TDs with at least five of the party’s TDs expressing reservations about the Bill. Four members of the party had confirmed they would vote against it.

While there is no threat to the Government’s parliamentary majority, the effort over weeks to win over the doubters in Fine Gael is seen as a big test of Mr Kenny’s authority as party leader.

Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald said Fine Gael members who voted against the Bill would lose the party whip.

The Taoiseach had “nailed his colours to the mast” on the issue and considered the Bill a very important piece of legislation, she told RTE radio this morning.

Under Fine Gael rules, TDs who lose the party whip must apply to a Fine Gael branch to run for election again for the party and this is subject to the approval of its national executive.

Only one TD - Denis Naughten of Roscommon - has defied the Fine Gael whip since Mr Kenny took power more than two years ago.

Dublin North East TD Terence Flanagan yesterday became the fourth Fine Gael TD to say he would vote against the abortion legislation, following Billy Timmins, Peter Mathews and Brian Walsh who had already confirmed their opposition.

In addition, Minister of State Lucinda Creighton and four other Fine Gael TDs - John Paul Phelan, Michelle Mulherin, John O’Mahony and James Bannon - all criticised the Bill during the opening Dáil debate on it yesterday. They did not say how they would vote, however.

The vote was scheduled for 5pm after Mr Kenny’s return from Strasbourg, where he addressed the European Parliament on Ireland’s EU presidency.

Mr Kenny issued a stern defence of the legislation in his own speech to the Dáil, saying it was not possible to remove the suicide clause. He also rejected demands for a time limit to be applied to when a termination can take place.

“To those who fear that this Bill is the first step towards a liberal abortion regime in Ireland, I say clearly that this extremely restrictive Bill is the only proposal that will be brought forward by this Government on this issue,” he said.

The Bill provides a legal framework for abortion in cases where there is a threat to life to the pregnant woman, including by suicide.

The Taoiseach’s remarks came only hours after Ms Creighton took issue with the suicide clause and the lack of term limits. The expectation in political circles is that she will vote for the legislation today to see whether the Government accepts substantive amendments in the next phase of the Dáil debate.

However, this is considered unlikely and it is expected she will vote against the Bill at the committee stage later this week. This would cost her both her membership of the Fine Gael parliamentary party and her Ministerial office.

Mr Phelan, TD for Carlow-Kilkenny, said it would be reasonable to expect a referendum on the subject.

Abortion Bill, Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams TD, Peadar Toibin TD

Abortion Bill, Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams TD, Peadar Toibin TD

Peadar Toibin TD has said he will vote against the Abortion Bill that will allow for the intentional Killing of unborn children. However, Gerry Adams TD and Sin Fein Leader, who was recently accused of concealing the rape of his 4 year old niece Aine Tyrrell in order to protect his lucrative political career, has said Sinn Fein would view any such move by Peadar Tobin TD as a serious breach of party rules.

The majority of Politicians are guided by the Party Whip System, which means that they must follow the party-line like sheep or be sent into the political wilderness, however, Peadar Toibin TD has shown time and again that he will not be brow beaten on matters  of personal and moral consciousness.

Sinn Féin has said it would be a serious breach of party rules for any TD to vote against the party position on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill.

Party leader Gerry Adams said the bill was currently being considered and that a decision would be made in the coming days.

He said the party’s position on the issue is clear and the Government “needs to legislate in line with the X Case to protect pregnant women when their lives are at risk”.

He added that legal certainty must be given to medical practitioners.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Prime Time last night, Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóbín said that he would be voting against the bill.

He said the issue was bigger than him and “any problems that I face over this pale into contrast with the difficulties mothers face and unborn children will have.”

The Government published the bill this week after it was approved by Cabinet.

One doctor will be required to certify that a termination is justified in the case of medical emergencies.

Two doctors will have to certify where there is a physical threat to the life of the mother, and three in cases of suicidal ideation.

Those three doctors will include the woman's obstetrician and two psychiatrists, including one specialist with experience of dealing with the mental health of pregnant women.

breaking news, meath sinn fein, peadar toibin td, abortion, gerry adams sinn fein, navan sinn fein

breaking news, meath sinn fein, peadar toibin td, abortion, gerry adams sinn fein, navan sinn fein

Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóibín has been removed from the chairmanship of an Oireachtas committee for failing to vote with his party on proposed abortion legislation.

Mr Tóibín failed to turn up to the Dáil for a vote last month in which his party voted in favour of proposed X case legislation put forward by United Left Alliance TD Clare Daly.

The Government defeated the Bill by 101 votes to 27 with the support of Fianna Fáil.

Mr Tóibín has expressed fears that legislating for the X case could be a “stepping stone” to the broadening of cases.

Mr Tóibín “stated that he did not wish to vote against his own party and so, took the decision to absent himself from the vote and has stated publicly that he understood that this was in breach of the party whip,” Sinn Fein TD and party whip Aengus 'The Mouth' Ó’Snodaigh said in a statement last night.

Resulting from the “serious breach” of party rules Mr Toibin has been removed as chairman of the Committee on Investigations, Oversight and Petitions, Mr Ó Snodaigh said. He will continue as party spokesman on enterprise.

In a statement last night, the Meath West TD said he has “strong personal opinions” on abortion legislation. He said he had anticipated disciplinary action for his breach of the whip.

“I remain a Sinn Féin TD and am fully committed to the party,” he added.

Peadar Toibin TD, No to Thatcher's Poll Tax, Sinn Fein, property tax

Sinn Fein TD for Meath West, Peadar Tóibín, has declared that he will not be paying the new household charge, but will instead donate the money to the St Vincent De Paul Society (SVP).

As he prepares to hold a series of meetings across the constiuency in protest agains government cuts and additional taxes, he said there is a build-up of enormous pressure on struggling families.

"In solidarity with these people, I will refuse to pay the household charge. I will instead donate the amount to the St Vincent De Paul," he said this week.

He said he has thought "long and hard" before making the decision.

"The household charge is a grossly unfair tax. Henry Mountcharles will be charged as much as a person in a three-bedroom semi-detached who is up to their neck in negative equity," he added.

"This money will not be invested in our local authorities - it will instead be handed over to the promissory note-holders and the bondholders of Anglo Irish Bank."

Deputy Toibín said he wanted to be clear that he was not advising others not to pay it. "That decision is up to each individual. I have seen other campaigns advise mass non-payment in years gone by and when the campaigns come to an end, many struggling citizens are left behind to pay massive arrears.

"It is irresponsible for politicians to tell people not to pay and then leave citizens with big bills to pay. If people decide themselves not to pay, they must understand what will be the consequences of their decision." he said.

The Sinn Fein TD said the household charge, along with other cuts and charges, were just the start of the policy of the government to transfer money out of our communities into the hands of the ECB and private bondholders.

"Ireland is being transformed into a massive debt repayment agency where lower and middle income earners are being hit hardest. On top of this, the government is doing all they can to deny the Irish people a referendum of the upcoming EU austerity treaty. An alternative growth and stimulus strategy is available to the state if the Labour/Fine Gael government would just stand up to the Troika in interests of the Irish people," he said.

Deputy Tóibin is also organising a series of Community Against Cuts meetings, the first of which will be held in Collinstown Community Hall in Co Westmeath tomorrow (Thursday) followed by Bohermeen Community Centre next Wednesday, 1st February, and the Newgrange Hotel, Navan, on Thursday 2nd February. A meeting also will take place in Ballivor Community Centre on the 9th February.

He urged people who would be directly affected by the household charge, the septic tank charges, broadcast charges or water charges to attend.

He also is asking those affected by cuts to DEIS schools, small schools, guidance councillors, CE schemes, hospital and nursing homes and services, such as the Women's Refuge, and cuts to rural Garda stations, to attend.

"Irish people have been far too passive for far too long. Nearly half a million people are unemployed and 70,000 people emigrated last year. The future of this State is being sold off in its billions and its time we stopped giving out about it and made a stand," the TD added