A motion calling for European Union member states to legalise abortion, and ensure that it is available at the expense of taxpayers, and calling for the imposition of gender quotas has been passed by the European Parliament.

The motion, sponsored by Belgian Socialist MEP Marc Tarabella, was supported by three Irish MEPs; Labour's Proinsias De Rossa (Dublin), Nessa Childers (Ireland East) and Joe Higgins of the far-left group, GUE-NGL.

Two MEPs, both from Ireland, Fianna Fáil's Brian Crowley and Labour's Alan Kelly, were not present for the vote. All the other Irish MEPs, from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Independent MEP Marian Harkin, who is in the Liberal grouping in the European Parliament, voted against the motion.

The motion, drafted by Marc Tarabella, a Belgian Socialist MEP, on behalf of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, says women must have “easy access to contraception and abortion,” that they “must have access free of charge to consultation on abortion” and member states must “improve women’s access to sexual and reproductive health services.”

Critics pointed out before the resolution was voted on that the its call for free access to abortion was contrary to the principle that abortion is a competency of Member States, rather than the EU.

The motion also calls on member state to “take effective steps, notably through legislation, to encourage gender balance in corporate, administrative and political positions of responsibility, therefore calls for binding targets to ensure the equal representation of women and men.”

Irish Independent columnist and noted commentator David Quinn told ciNews that the motion was "an example of secularist MEPs failing to respect the right of member states to their own laws in these areas.” He added, "So-called abortion rights are completely outside the competence of the EU." It was motions like this, Mr Quinn added, which "give the EU a bad reputation in the minds of some people.”

Source: CiNews

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