DUBLIN, Ireland, November 14, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) — Defenders of life around the world, including anyone with Irish heritage, are being asked to submit their views supporting the country’s embattled Eighth Amendment to its extraordinary Citizens’ Assembly.

The Eighth Amendment of Ireland’s Constitution, which recognizes that unborn children have a right to life equal to that of the mother, is the first of five items on the agenda of the 99-person Citizens’ Assembly, the members of which were selected by a market research organization appointed by the newly-elected government to discuss several issues, including climate change and a housing shortage. With pressure from international human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and the Europe’s Human Rights Council, the government has deferred the divisive issue to the assembly.

“We want organizations and people from all over the world — especially those of Irish descent — to tell the Irish governmenthow dreadful it would be to see the protection that Ireland is well known for providing the unborn damaged in any way,” said Maria Madise, the international director for the London-based Society for the Protection of Unborn Children.

The Citizens’ Assembly, which met for the first time in October, is accepting  submissions on “the Eighth” until December 16 at citizensassembly.ie and is slated to make its recommendations next June. The Dail — the Irish parliament — is expected to discuss the issues until December and then decide whether to hold a referendum on rewriting the amendment in the spring of 2018.

Niamh Ui Bhriain, head of Dublin’s Life Institute, says a referendum on the Eighth Amendment is almost a certainty. “The Citizens’ Assembly is a farce,” she told LifeSiteNews — or at least its consideration of the Eighth Amendment is. “Several cabinet ministers have already come out in favor of a referendum.”

Though the Assembly’s website only allows 500-word entries to be written on the page, it also invites downloads of larger docuмents. Madise and colleague Patrick Buckley would like copies of any submissions sent to them for the record at mariamadise@spuc.org.uk> or patrick.buckley48@yahoo.co.uk.

“I am certain,” Madise said, “that Amnesty International, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and other George Soros-funded globalists will be making their submissions”

The Eighth Amendment, also known as Article 40.3.3, acknowledges the equal rights of the mother and unborn child. It did not allow abortion to save a woman’s life but did permit efforts to save the mother that unintentionally might lead to the child’s death.

After a Supreme Court decision, however, in the infamous X case, the European Court of Human Rights in its judgment on a later case known as the ABC case called for more clarity, leading to a 2013 law that permits abortion on the grounds of threatened ѕυιcιdє. "In the long term,” Madise said, “we must work to reinstate the amendment to the fullness of its original scope and overturn the pro-abortion legislation.”

Niamh Ui Bhriain told LifeSiteNews, “It’s absurd and horrifying that the members of this Citizens’ Assembly will be voting on which category of children will live and which will die. The right to life is fundamental. The Eighth Amendment merely acknowledges the right. It doesn’t give the right.”

She said her organization, the Life Institute, and Youth Defence, have been preparing for the referendum for a year. That’s when they began training volunteers for the “Life Canvas,” a plan to visit every home in Ireland. “So far we’ve knocked on 120,000,” she said. “There are 1.1 million in all.”

Knocking on doors reveals most Irish to be pro-life, she reports, “but they have questions.” Hopefully, by next spring, most will have answers. The campaign website is www.yestolifeireland.org.

SPUC has launched a new video calling on Irish people throughout the world to defend the 8th amendment to the Irish constitution, which protects unborn children from abortion.

The Citizens' Assembly will finally begin discussing abortion today amid continuing allegations of bias in its composition and criticisms of some expert contributors.
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The 99 citizens, selected at random to form a cross section of Irish society, will begin their deliberations under chairwoman Ms Justice Mary Laffoy of the Supreme Court at the Grand Hotel in Malahide.
Tipperary Independent TD Mattie McGrath said he had no doubts about the impartiality and integrity of Judge Laffoy.

But Mr McGrath said the body did not have any representative from 11 counties and he added that two expert witnesses had already publicly expressed controversial views on abortion and related issues which raised questions about their suitability.
"Citizens from counties Tipperary, Leitrim, Cavan, Louth, Sligo, Longford, Offaly, Kilkenny, Carlow, Waterford and Kerry are entirely absent, which cannot be accepted," Mr McGrath said.

Mr McGrath also used Dáil privilege to raise questions about two expert witnesses.
Mr McGrath said former Master of Holles Street Maternity Hospital, Dr Declan Keane, told a constitutional committee back in 2000 that he was dissatisfied that "abortions for fatal abnormalities could not be performed in Irish hospitals".

Mr McGrath said the issue of fatal foetal abnormalities was likely to occur in the assembly's deliberations. He questioned whether someone with a stated view could be an "impartial expert".
Mr McGrath equally used Dáil privilege to question the involvement of Professor Deirdre Madden from University College Cork who was on the commission on human reproduction set up by the former Health Minister Micheál Martin.

The commission's 2005 report recommended that "destructive research on human embryos" should be permitted.
In response to Mr McGrath's comments that there were no representatives from 11 counties, a spokeswoman for the Citizens' Assembly said members were chosen by the polling firm Red C using census data to balance for age, gender and regional location.

The two-day session will open with a welcoming address from Ms Justice Laffoy.
Various lawyers, historians and medical experts will address the assembly today and tomorrow.

Three more working sessions are planned on the issue.

In this I write about being Hibernian, Hibernianism is very much part of Irish history, our Holy Catholic Faith, Our heritage, Language,
Being A Hibernian is an Honour and Privilege, Faith and Fatherland.
Being Pro Life is the most important part of being Irish, and quite frankly it is very much Irish. It is who I am I live,breath and walk it. It's me.

1916 our Proclamation stated very Clearly,
'IRISHMEN AND IRISHWOMEN: In the name of God and of the dead generations from which she receives her old tradition of nationhood, Ireland, through us, summons her children to her flag and strikes for her freedom'

cherishing all of the children of the nation equally,
We place the cause of the Irish Republic under the protection of the Most High God, Whose blessing we invoke upon our arms, and we pray that no one who serves that cause will dishonour it by cowardice, inhumanity, or rapine. In this supreme hour the Irish nation must, by its valour and discipline, and by the readiness of its children to sacrifice themselves for the common good, prove itself worthy of the august destiny to which it is called.

We should stand with valour and defend the faith and our most Precious Value the 'Right to Life' of this Island unborn citizens, weather your Disabled or Not your Part of this Nation,
In the Name of God, 'Cherish all of the Nations children equally'
Those who do not respect God and Life is Dishonouring our Nation and our Heros,
Being silent kills, Speaking out saves lives.