A couple of thoughts on the issue:
I have no right as an individual to tell any woman (or man for that matter) what they should or should not do with their own body.
For any individual to have that right, or power shall we say, would be draconian.
We live in a free society where that sort of personal power is not granted to individuals or groups of individuals, like say the government.
However there is another body involed here, is there not? That's the essence of the debate.
From an economic point of view: Should the Irish government announce tomorrow morning that it will be revoking all convictions that were ever issued by the courts against drunk drivers, reimbursing the guilty for any lost monies they might have incurred, and reinstating them to jobs and marriages they may have lost because of those convictions? That would be sort of crazy, wouldn't you say? How much of an uproar would that cause among the populace. People should own up to the consequences of their decisions and must be held accountable for their actions. Fair to say? Well that does not apply apparently in the case of unwanted pregnancies. One can make a mistake, and another, and another, and the tax payers will continue to pay for those mistakes. Is there a difference between that and drunk drivers? Just saying.
From a religious point of view: The government is asking it's citizens (those citizens who claim abortion is against their religion) to pay their taxes to help a process which goes against their religion.
Does the Irish government demand the same type of financial levy from all religious groups in the country, if they claim something goes against their religion?
I'd be very interested to know the truth on that one.