Tag Archives: Katherine Zappone

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Minister for Children Katherine Zappone launching the Rape Crisis Network of Ireland’s report on sexual violence against members of the LGBT community earlier today

Minister for Children Katherine Zappone spoke to Audrey Carville on RTÉ’s News At One today.

It followed Ms Zappone launching the Rape Crisis Network of Ireland’s report on the sexual violence in the LGBT community.

The report was carried out by the RCNI with Gay Switchboard Ireland and the Gay & Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN).

After discussing the findings of the report, Ms Carville raised the defeat of Independents 4 Change TD Mick Wallace’s bill…

During the interview, Ms Zappone said:

“…What I find is, in my work both going around the country and also in working with frontline agencies, such as the Rape Crisis Network represents, is that people want to talk to me about childcare, child homelessness, repealing the 8th – those are the issues that they’re concerned about and they’re looking to Government to do something about. Those are the issues on the minds and hearts of our people.”

“I have been an advocate, as a feminist really, for the past 30 years to change the constitution with regard to abortion. I think we live in a country where there’s way too much restriction on the legislation for women to access, in times of certain circumstances what they require when they are pregnant.”

“Having said that, I did study the bill, very carefully. Obviously, I listened to and accepted the advice of the Attorney General, I talked to other legal advisors, I talked to medical professionals and concluded that it actually wouldn’t bring about the desired effect of the authors of the bill.”

“So I expect probably, if I had been in Opposition, I would have voted against it as well.”

“My primary objective is that we would get some constitutional change in relation to the 8th amendment. I think to call one [a referendum] now – I’m not convinced yet that enough people are with us, especially those who are still to be persuaded, part of middle Ireland, to say yes, they agree finally that there are various circumstances where women do, in very difficult circumstances, do the best and the most correct and ethical action to choose abortion or to terminate their pregnancy.”

“So I’m not convinced that our people are ready to pass that referendum and we need more time and I think the process of a Citizens’ Assembly is the best way to move in that direction.”

Listen back in full here

Previously: A Matter Of Conscience

Rollingnews

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Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone at a homeless event this morning

Then.

The Bill does not legislate for termination in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities. The Government has argued that it is only obliged to deal with the issues that relate to the European Convention, the implementing of the A, B and C judgment and the X case and that it is not obligated to go any further.

Obligated by whom or what? Why is this an issue for another day? It may be for another day in light of political strategy and tactics. I do not agree that it is for another day in light of ethical considerations and international human rights obligations.

Then Senator Katherine Zappone, during the seanad debate on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill, 2013.

Now.

Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone says she wishes her fellow Independent Ministers hadn’t insisted on a free vote on abortion.
Mick Wallace’s bill has caused a rift in Cabinet, with Independent Ministers including Shane Ross and Finian McGrath, due to vote against the rest of the government later when they support the “fatal foetal abnormalities” bill.
Minister Zappone, regrets that her fellow Independent Cabinet Ministers have refused to side with the Government on abortion.

Zappone Wishes Fellow Independents Hadn’t Insisted On A Free Vote (Clare Fm)

There you go.

Previously: Unconstitutional Deference

Rollingnews

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Directors of elections for Labour Alan Kelly, for Fine Gael MEP Brian Hayes, Fianna Fáil TD Billy Kelleher and Sinn Féin MEP Matt Carty, with RTÉ’s Sharon Ní Bheoláin this morning

Magdalene Hayden, assistant to Senator Katherine Zappone, writes:

The gender disparity in media is glaringly obvious, particularly when you examine the media coverage provided to female politicians on currents affairs programming in Ireland, according to Independent general election candidate for Dublin South West Katherine Zappone. For example, in recent weeks there were no female politicians participating in some of Ireland’s flagship political programmes.

During her recent feminism conference in Tallaght, attended by over 300 people, women from all walks of life shared their experiences and a common thread between them all was a sense of frustration at the imbalance of gender representation in Irish media.

Journalist, broadcaster, and activist Una Mullally made an impassioned call for media organisations to tackle the massive gender disparity endemic in our news and media organisations. She believes that a gender audit is the only realistic way to tackle the lack of representation of women in the media, while also examining the lack of women in positions of power in the industry itself.

Zappone echoes the sentiments of Mullally as someone who has been collaborating with and educating women, helping them achieve their potential for over 30 years. Having helped sow the seeds of many local women’s journeys into higher education via An Cosán, the Jobstown-based education centre, Zappone believes the time for an Independent voice with a passion for equality is now. Katherine champions equal opportunities for women in the workplace, education, health services and public life.

FIGHT!

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Newstalk presenter Chris Donoghue

On June 27, 2014, Newstalk presenter Chris Donoghue – during a feature on the Gay Pride Parade in Dublin – said, in a referendum on same-sex marriages, he would vote in favour of changing Ireland’s legislation to allow for same-sex marriages.

This prompted a listener, Ray McIntyre, to complain to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI).

According to the BAI, Mr McIntyre, “…states that there are also those who take a different view, emphasising the importance of marriage as a social institution designed to provide children with a mother and a father. The complainant states that it is not Newstalk’s role as a broadcaster, to act as a cheerleader for one side or the other in a matter of current public debate. He believes that this kind of conduct, if continued, threatens to make next year’s referendum a farce of epic proportions.”

The BAI upheld Mr McIntyre’s complaint in part, specifically concluding that, ‘It was the opinion of the Committee that the statement by one of the presenters that he would vote in favour of any forthcoming referendum on marriage equality and his stated impatience with not being able to vote immediately constitutes the statement of a partisan position by a news and current affairs presenter on a matter of current public debate, contrary to Rule 4.22 of the BAI Code of Fairness, Objectivity and Impartiality in News and Current Affairs.’

Rule 4.22 is as follows…

“It is an important part of the role of a presenter of a current affairs programme to ensure that the audience has access to a wide variety of views on the subject of the programme or item; to facilitate the expression of contributors’ opinions – sometimes by forceful questioning; and to reflect the views of those who cannot, or choose not to, participate in content. This being so, a presenter and/or a reporter on a current affairs programme shall
not express his or her own views on matters that are either of public controversy or the subject of current public debate such that a partisan position is advocated.”

Further to this, Senator Katherine Zappone writes:

“The decision of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland is concerning for a number of reasons, not least the imposition of election campaign rules at a time when there is no campaign. As it stands no referendum has been called, a referendum commission has not been established and no date has been set.

Secondly the decision came on the day when an authority member was in the national newspapers saying that a quorum could not be met for meetings of the BAI as the Government has failed to make appointments.

This raises serious governance issues which must be clarified, we need to establish who is calling the shots at the BAI and is behind these rulings.

Requiring balance on every issue on the airwaves is simply unworkable – for example must a discussion on racism now require input from racists or must a discussion on murder and violent crimes require someone speaking up for thugs?

Open debate and commentary on the issues of the day has always been a hallmark of Irish democracy, the stifling of views is something we normally associate in closed countries where there is no free press.

I will be raising this issue in the Seanad and support the efforts of media organisations and journalists in seeking further information on how the BAI is interpreting current broadcast legislation.”

Newstalk presenter Chris Donoghue criticises BAI decision as “daft and depressing” (Newstalk)

Broadcasting Complaint Decisions (BAI)

Katherine Zappone (Facebook)

Previously: The Loony Mooney Ruling

They’re the Cagney and Lacey of marriage equality.

From MarriageEquality.ie

Senator Katherine Zappone (above left) and her partner Dr. Ann Louise Gilligan (right) will be issuing a fresh legal challenge in their fight to be married under Irish law. The new challenge will test the provisions of the Civil Registration Act 2004, and Civil Partnership Act 2010, which prohibit marriage for same-sex couples.

“It became clear to us that, even if we succeeded with our original case, the provisions within the Civil Registration Act and the Civil Partnership Act would remain,” Katherine Zappone said today. “So it became imperative to shelve our Supreme Court appeal and proceed to challenge this Act before the High Court.”

The main point of the original case was the issue of whether the right to marry under the Irish Constitution extends to people of the same sex.

The new challenge will be heard in the High Court.

Fresh Marriage Equality Challenge for the High Court (Marriage Equality)

(Eamonn Farrell/Photocall Ireland)