A group of concerned mothers recently handed in a petition to the Oireachtas All-Party Committee on the Constitution supporting option 1 of the Green Paper's proposals on abortion. This proposes an "absolute constitutional ban on abortion".
Ms Ethna Cotter, from Booterstown, Co Dublin, who organised the group, said they collected 80,523 signatures to the petition from around the country. They handed the petition to Mr Jim O'Donnell, secretary to the all-party committee, which had sought submissions on the various options in the Green Paper.
The deadline for submissions was November 30th, and they handed in the petition the previous day.
She said the group had collected the signatures with the help of friends and acquaintances.
They had done so "to demand that the people of this country be given their democratic right to speak for those who prior to birth are unable to speak for themselves.
"They are equally concerned that, at a time when society is very conscious of the needs of women, the terrible effects of abortion on women are being ignored."
Ms Cotter said that, while she and her group were aware of the activities of the Pro-Life Campaign, they did not have any relationship with it or any other group.
