Programme. Interview with C.a.p Militant

The Contraception debate is now once again raging in the Republic. Ten years have elapsed since the first family planning clinics were established by voluntary groups and yet the demand for a comprehensive family planning service has not been met ‘by the state. large numbers of working class people in particular are ciscriminated against by the lack of services. The Contraception Action Programme, founded in I976 at the initiativeof the feminists, has renewed its campaign with vigour. The comrades of Peoples Democracy are in the forefront of this campaign, along with militants like Ann Connolly, of the Dublin Well Women Centre, who is interviewed below for her personal opinions on the current situation and the campaign. She gave this interview just before a very successful C-AsP. meeting in Cork which drew an audience of I50 people. Q. In '69, we saw the establishment of the Fertility Guidance Clinic by a handful of committed individuals. Ten years on, do you think Contraception is still a political issue to be resolved?

A, Yes, Contraception and the whele question of the right to control our bodies has yet to be resolved. To date, any attempts +c have laws changed fundamentally have been defeated. The battle which involves Church state relations and the power of the Church, basic civil and human rights has been frustrated by politicians.

The present Bill before the Dail is one of restrictions and is in grave danger of being passed. Many people are apathetic, either because they can readily aveil of & contraceptive service through the clinics or because they are simply weary of the fight and tend to feel that some Bill is better than none. Nothing couid be further from the truth. The proposals in the new Bill will mean that (a) Contraception will continue to-be unavailable to people living outside the main towns or cities unless the local GP. is aware of and willing to prescribe a suitable method.

(b) As the doctors can decide on "pbena-fide" family planning cases (to quote the Bill) and opt out of the scheme, this leaves people without a real service. (c) 13,000 women who get contraceptives under the GMS no longer have this eligibity guaranteed. (a) It gives the minister arbitrary powers since he may at any time change the regulations and conditions of licenses at any time. Why are these draconian powers necessary?

Q. What kind of political organisations and individuals form the opposition to legalised contraception. What kind of materjal interests do they represent?

A. The organised forces of the . opposition are right-wing offs, -* Opus Dei, and lesfer organisatTions such as the league of Dec~ ency etc. These pus forward a... soctally more extrdlié right-wing view.;, the use of which the Catholic Church seems to be shifting from in their propaganda. The -* Church's own position has shifted over the years from one of opposing Contrfeption (family planning) on the grounds that. it was selfish d materialistic to one of "family planning" (by natural If you are interested in jotning « Peoples Democracy and fighting. for a 32-County Soctalist Republic — * fill in the form below and send it tor .c * BELFAST: Connolly Bookshop, Avoca Park, Andersonstown, . DUBLIN : 38, Clanawiey Rd, Name COC Coo eresceresereseees Address Pee eocereoeseesceseoeene COCHC CTH OOOO EROS adOE OSE SEDERE+ 26 counties.

Pee ES ah methods of course) being a good thing. However, it is important -to note that representations made by the Hierarchy have been successful in so far as the new Bill is restrictive on aspects like advertising, sex-education etc. The opposition mounted by the right, is heavily financed by the wealthy members of the Knights, which include lawyers, doctors, accountants, solicitors, the editor of the Irish Independant and the assistant general manager of Aer Lingus Niall Daragh. These are the kind of forces we have to expose and resist. abs es Geta GUM Catt CRED ines GD GHD GED GID CID DED GCS GES Gis CRD GY OS Q. Has this kind of pressure been successful? Will the government be forced to meet the needs of people obviously expressed“in the “numbers attending the family planning clinics? eS A. The government by listening to the objections of the Catholic Church are callously disregarding views of Irish people. They can no longer excuse themselyes on the grounds that there is no longer support for family planning. There certainly is an overwhelning demand for contraception in _ Restrictions on Contraception — are of great significance to women. Until women can control ‘their fertility, talk offwomen's equality is meaningless. Therefore the current proposals hold serious threats: for women. vu eee cae Sa OT OED MLD GRD OMS Gk OD GHD EAS GHD GD aE © 2 765 = Bs o. hey an continued

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shoots of Catholic organisations: - such as the Knigits of Colambus ss