In the wake of a number of terrible preventable tragedies in this country, Ireland has made some progress in advancing the rights and protections for pregnant women with the enactment of the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Act in 2013 and the development of the new National Maternity Strategy which is currently underway. We will hold a referendum to remove Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution and, if this is successful, we will ensure that comprehensive legislation is put to the Houses of the Oireachtas to sufficiently protect the rights of women in pregnancy; in particular their right to life and to health. In future legislation, Labour is committed to recognising the importance of sustaining embryonic and foetal life in pregnancy while allowing termination under strict conditions in the event of: fatal foetal abnormalities; real and substantial risk to the health of the woman (physical or mental) in the early stages of pregnancy; risk of severe or disabling damage to the woman’s health in the later stages of pregnancy; and where the effect of a pregnancy arising out of rape, incest or serious sexual assault has been to create a risk to the physical or mental health of the woman.
sceptical of internationalism, for example negative towards international cooperation, in favour of national sovereignty and unilaterialism