9 things that are ‘a step too far’ that aren’t liberalised abortion access

Earlier this week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that he thought the proposal to allow abortion up to 12 weeks was "a step too far."

Varadkar was speaking about the recommendations of the Citizens' Assembly and the Oireachtas Committee which stated that abortion laws in Ireland should be liberalised to allow people to access terminations without restriction up until 12 weeks gestation. He said:

“I think it’s fair to say that for a lot of people, not just in the cabinet, for a lot of people in the country, the proposal to allow for the termination of pregnancies up to 12 weeks went further than many people may have anticipated. "Certainly, it went further than I would have anticipated a year or two ago."

The Taoiseach continued:

“There is a concern understandably among many politicians that perhaps for the majority of the public that proposal might go one step too far. "But then again, perhaps not. That’s the debate we’re going to have over the next few months.”

Perhaps, or perhaps not. The informed decisions of the Citizen Assembly members would suggest not. And yet, the Taoiseach remains dedicated to keeping his own stance on Ireland's imminent abortion referendum conveniently close to his chest while repeatedly attempting to delegitimise the ever-progressing pro-choice movement. There are plenty of things in this life that are "a step too far." Abortion without restriction up until 12 weeks gestation is not one of them. Here are some of those things: 1. At least 12 women a day travelling abroad for essential health care. 2. The death of Savita Halappanavar. 3. Miss X, Miss Y, and the countless others. 4. Needing to raise funds for travel, accommodation, and various other expenses when travelling for a termination. 5. Forcing those who can't travel to carry an unwanted child to term. 6. Sex education that often lacks any reference to abortion and is frequently infected with Catholic ideologies. 7. Bleeding heavily on flights home from Manchester, London, Liverpool, and elsewhere. 8. A 14-year prison sentence for procuring abortion pills. 9. A 14-year prison sentence for taking abortion pills.