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14th May 2018

Claire Byrne Live is hosting a special extended abortion referendum special tonight

Kate Demolder

Claire byrne live

Representatives from the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ sides will take part.

Claire Byrne is set to present a special extended programme on the upcoming abortion referendum on Monday night.

With only 11 days until polling day on May 25, the RTÉ presenter will be joined live in studio by leading campaigners from the both the Yes and No sides of the debate.

Joining Byrne on-screen for the Yes side will be co-director of Together For Yes, Orla O’Connor, staunch Yes supporter and Sinn Féin TD Mary Lou McDonald and former Master of The Maternity Hospital, Holles Street and current chair of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Dr Peter Boylan.

Boylan has been outspoken throughout the campaign, having repeatedly rejected claims from the No side that terminations will be performed up until late stages of pregnancy.

The Save The 8th Campaign recently called on Dr Boylan to resign, following comments he’d made regarding women who he’d claimed had died because of the Eighth Amendment.

On the No side, Byrne will also be chatting to Irish Catholic author and Iona Institute spokesperson Maria Steen, Fianna Fáil TD Mary Butler and obstetrician Dr John Monaghan.

Dr Monaghan, who is aligned with the Medical Alliance for the Eighth group, claimed at the launch of the Save the 8th campaign back in March that he had delivered between 4,000 and 5,000 babies during his career and had never been prevented from protecting a woman’s life because of article 40.3.3.

The Medical Alliance for the Eighth has also said previously that they believe the regime proposed in the event of the Eighth Amendment being repealed from the Constitution “has nothing to do with healthcare”.

The programme will also feature questions from the live studio audience of 200 people.

The extended Claire Byrne Live Referendum Special will air on Monday night at 9.35pm on RTÉ One, RTÉ News Now and RTÉ Player.

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