Dublin City Council discuss naming street after Savita Halappanavar

Ms Halappanavar had asked several times for a termination of the unviable pregnancy before the complications resulted in her contracting septicaemia. She was told a termination was not possible because the foetal heartbeat was still present.

The decision not to terminate the pregnancy and the resulting death were widely criticised at the time and led to mass uproar about the effects of Ireland's strict abortion procedures.

According to Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution, the life of the mother and the unborn must both be protected “as far as practicable”.

Savita died on October 28th, 2012 at University Hospital Galway.

The motion to name a street after the woman is being proposed by People Before Profit councillor Tina MacVeigh and will brought through at the next council meeting on November 7.

The motion asks: “To honour the memory of Savita Halappanavar, who tragically lost her life as a consequence of the Irish State’s barbaric and antiquated attitudes to women’s reproductive rights, that a street in our capital city be named in her memory.”

Ms MacVeigh sought the approval of Ms Halappanvar’s parents, Andaneppa and Akhmedevi Yalagi, before tabling the motion. Mr Yalagi descirbed the idea as “heart-warming” and said that they
"welcome this proposal wholeheartedly."

Cllr MacVeigh said it was important Ms Halappanvar be remembered “in as many ways as possible”.

“When she died her widower, Praveen, was so adamant that she not be forgotten, that we know who she was. Whatever about abortion, she was denied medical treatment, she was denied basic medical care because of the Constitution.

“Naming a street or a square, something tangible like that, after Savita, would be a solid and permanent honouring of her.”