Madam, - The recent ESRI/Crisis Pregnancy Agency survey ("The Irish survey of Sexual Health and Relationships", October 2006) has implications for our democracy that must not be ignored. Taking a representative sample of 7,500 people the survey examined Irish attitudes towards abortion.
The results of this survey clearly indicate a profound shift in Irish attitudes since the 1983 referendum, which introduced a constitutional ban on abortion by equating the right to life of the unborn with the right to life of the mother. In the 1981 European Values Survey over 80 per cent of Irish people surveyed stated their belief that abortion is "always wrong". In stark contrast only 36 per cent of those surveyed by the ESRI/CPA agreed with this statement. In fact 64 per cent of those surveyed in 2005 indicated their support for abortion in some circumstances and almost 50 per cent (47 per cent) of people stated that "abortion is never wrong" or only "sometimes wrong".
It is 23 years since the Irish people voted to ban abortion constitutionally. Since then an entire new generation has been born. Moreover, Irish attitudes in every spectre have undergone profound transformation. It is by no means clear whether a referendum to remove the Eighth Amendment would be successful. But if the concept of Irish democracy has any real meaning then the electorate of 1983 must not be permitted to decide the fate of the electorate of 2006. A referendum on abortion is long overdue; the people must be allowed to speak. - Yours, etc,
LOUISE CAFFREY,
Delgany,
Co Wicklow.