THE COUNCIL of Europe's parliamentary assembly has called on member states including Ireland to legalise abortion, despite opposition from a number of members including Fianna Fáil Senator Terry Leyden.
However, the vote has no binding effect as the council - which is an advisory body to 47 European member states - is not part of the European Union.
The assembly adopted a resolution calling on member states to decriminalise abortion and to guarantee women's rights to access to safe and legal abortion by 102 votes to 69 after a four-hour debate.
The parliamentarians said abortion should be avoided as far as possible and "in no circumstances be regarded as a family planning method". They said a total ban would not result in fewer abortions, leading instead to traumatic clandestine abortions and abortion "tourism".
At present the law permits abortion to save the life of the mother in almost all Council of Europe member states. It is also permitted subject to certain other reasons or within a specified time-frame in most countries, with the exception of Ireland, Andorra, Malta, Monaco and Poland, according to Council of Europe officials.
In the resolution, the parliamentarians said medical and psychological care, as well as suitable financial cover, should be offered to women seeking abortions, and conditions which restricted access to safe abortion should be lifted.
They also called for school pupils to receive "compulsory age-appropriate, gender-sensitive education on sex and relationships" in order to avoid unwanted pregnancies or abortions.
Mr Leyden said he was disappointed at the outcome. "I campaigned vigorously against the report and gathered a certain amount of support in the last few days. It is inappropriate for the Council of Europe to explicitly call on member states to decriminalise abortion as it takes no account of the differing historical, constitutional and policy positions of countries such as Ireland, where we have very strong protection for the unborn child."
Mr Leyden said other members of the Irish delegation, including Senator Cecilia Keaveney (Fianna Fáil) and Pat Breen TD (Fine Gael) voted against the resolution, as did delegates from Malta, Poland and Andorra. Joe Costello TD (Labour) abstained and said any decision on abortion should be left to member states themselves.
Mr Leyden, meanwhile, said it was important to emphasise that the vote had no legal jurisdiction in the Republic.
