Welcome to The Pro Life Campaign Blogspot

Thank you for visiting our blog. We want this to be a rich and informative discussion forum and look forward to your participation. You can visit our website at www.prolifecampaign.ie or email us on info@prolifecampaign.ie







Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Devote energies to the repeal of unjust law, 30.7.13

Pro Life Campaign 'will now devote its energies to the repeal of unjust law' as President signs abortion bill into law

PLC volunteers at Dáil Éireann during debates and votes on abortion bill

The Pro Life Campaign has said the passage into law today of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill “is a very sad day for our country” and “for the first time in our history makes it legal to deliberately target the life of an innocent human being.”

Caroline Simons of the Pro Life Campaign said: “Despite what the Taoiseach and others claim, the new law is life-ending, not life-saving. The Government brought forward this law in the full knowledge that abortion is not a treatment for suicidal feelings and ignored all the peer-reviewed evidence showing that abortion has adverse mental health consequences for women.

“This is a very sad day for our country. For the first time in our history, it is now legal to deliberately target the life of an innocent human being. The Pro Life Campaign will now devote its energies to the repeal of this unjust law. We will give very careful consideration in the coming weeks to the best way to bring this about."

“The pro-life movement is mobilised and growing. We have seen the biggest ever gatherings of pro-life people in recent weeks. The passage of this bill into law marks a new beginning not an end for pro-life activism. Fine Gael has broken its solemn pre-election commitment not to introduce abortion legislation. This will most definitely be remembered at the next election.”

Monday, July 22, 2013

Death of woman following Marie Stopes abortion in Britain “raises major questions”, says Pro Life Campaign

 

The Pro Life Campaign has said the tragic death of a woman from Ireland after undergoing an abortion in England in 2012 “raises major questions about the safety of abortion in certain clinics in addition to the obvious disregard for unborn life that abortion involves."

“This tragic story is not the first incident of a life-endangering situation involving an Irish woman at a Marie Stopes clinic”, Cora Sherlock of the Pro Life Campaign said.

“In December 2011, Dr Phanuel Dartey was struck off the General Medical Register in Britain for almost killing an Irish woman after performing a botched abortion at the Marie Stopes clinic in Ealing, London.

“In this latest story, the woman who died had no life-threatening condition before the abortion but developed grave complications within hours of the procedure. It raises very serious questions about the safety of abortion in certain clinics.

“It is disturbing the way some people are trying to use this tragic story to continue the push for abortion in Ireland when it is obvious the focus should be on what happened in the Marie Stopes clinic leading to her death.

“While official figures suggest that abortion in Britain is relatively safe for women, there have been several reports and incidents recently that challenge this claim.”

Ms Sherlock concluded: “We offer our sincere condolences to her husband and family over their terrible loss.”

www.prolifecampaign.ie


Thursday, July 18, 2013

Decision to expel Denis Naughten from Health Committee 'autocratic and heavy-handed'

The Pro Life Campaign's Deputy Chairperson Cora Sherlock has accused the Government of behaving in an "autocratic and heavy-handed" way over its decision to expel Denis Naughten TD from the Oireachtas Health Committee.

Commenting on the decision Cora Sherlock said:

"It is clear that the Government is not prepared to tolerate any dissent at all on the abortion issue.  As a member of the Health Committee, Deputy Naughten raised very serious and legitimate concerns over the legislation and proposed a reasonable amendment.
Deputy Naughton also voted against the abortion Bill in the Dáil because, like many others, he was opposed to introducing abortion on the grounds of threatened suicide where there is not a shred of evidence that abortion is a treatment for suicidal feelings."


Fine Gael TDs who opposed the Bill were also removed from various Oireachtas Committees yesterday.  Deputy Peter Mathews were removed from the Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions and he and Deputy Billy Timmins were also removed from the Finance Committee.
TDs Terence Flanagan and Brian Walsh were removed from the Transport Committee.


"It is unacceptable that the Government is behaving in such an autocratic and heavy-handed manner in an attempt to drive alternative voices out of the debate", Ms. Sherlock concluded.


Deputy Denis Naughten TD

www.prolifecampaign.ie

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Senator Fidelma Healy Eames' Speech against the Bill

Senator Fidelma Healy Eames

—————
Cathaoirleach, thank you for the opportunity to speak. I want to thank Senators Feargal Quinn and Mary Anne O’Brien for moving my Reasoned Amendment to this Bill yesterday.

This Bill has been a momentous journey for me. I came to this debate with an open mind. I was not and am not part of any campaign, pro-life or pro-choice. From the outset, my sole concern has been to ensure that any changes are in the best interests of expectant mothers and their unborn babies.
Ultimately, this bill is about allowing abortion in the case of threatened suicide. The absence of evidence to underpin this approach for a woman threatening suicide is addressed in my Reasoned Amendment on the Order paper.
A central point of agreement at the Oireachtas Hearings was that abortion is never a treatment for a woman with suicidal feelings.
Why then is the Government ignoring this and proceeding to sanction the taking of an innocent baby’s life when there is no evidence that this will save the mother’s life? Indeed the evidence shows that abortion may damage the woman mentally. I have met women from ‘Women Hurt’, women who’ve had abortions who have confirmed this.
I have also met Ms. C who was only 13 years old at the time she was raped and became pregnant. Her harrowing testimony describes how the HB took her to England for an abortion against her family's wishes robbing her of at least ten years of her life, leaving her with severe mental health after-affects from abortion, including suicide attempts. She had been under the impression that she was going to England to 'get the baby out'. She didn’t know that her baby would die. When she asked for the body of her baby to bury it there was none. She was only 13. This is an outcome of the X decision, a side of ‘liberal, modern, compassionate and caring’ Ireland we don’t like to talk about.
A female Fine Gael member, put it rather well to me last week. ‘If we offer abortion to a woman because she claims to be suicidal and we then find that she is suicidal afterwards, what do we offer her then?’
Surely we would do what we should have done originally.
But by permitting abortion on the flawed suicide ground have we not done her a grave injustice and changed her life path forever?
I found it interesting listening to commentators on the radio congratulating male TDs for making what they termed ‘pro-woman’ speeches in supporting abortion.
It highlighted just how one-sided and prejudiced the debate has become.
What is pro-woman about pressing ahead with a law that runs contrary to the expert psychiatric evidence from two sets of Hearings? This is a serious charge which the Government has not answered.
What is pro-woman about airbrushing out of the debate the stories of women like Ms C? What is pro-woman about conveniently side-stepping the story of Emma Beck, the young English artist who died by suicide after aborting her twins? The coroner at her inquest recommended that women be told about the possible negative effects of abortion before they go through with it. Sound advice – What is pro-woman about ignoring that?
Why did the Govt ignore the real concerns of Sam Coulter Smyth, Master of the Rotunda who works everyday at the coalface? Or the statement of 113 Irish psychiatrists? These are the very professionals who treat people with suicidal feelings every day. Their statement highlighted the deception in this Bill that Abortion is a treatment for suicidal intent.
And it is not in the best interests of women and their unborn babies to railroad through legislation for abortion simply because the Labour Party wanted it.
Have we completely lost it?  Have we learnt nothing from other countries? Women cherish their babies. When women are in difficulty, why aren’t we striving to be the most ‘pro-woman country’ in the world by offering them real help and hope instead of violent solutions?
If some of the speeches I heard yesterday were made thirty or forty years ago I’d probably agree with them. We have a shameful past.. But knowing that Ireland now consistently ranks in the top five countries in the world for protecting women in pregnancy, it is disappointing the way some people continue to mislead the public, simply to justify a pro-choice stance.
The Government insists that this legislation is about ‘saving women’s lives’.
If I thought for a minute that the legislation was about preventing a tragic death like that of Savita, I would be supporting it. But it is not. It is disgraceful the way Savita’s death has been hijacked to get abortion over the line. We know that a catalogue of medical errors led to her tragic death. We know that had her infection been spotted in time, that the doctors would have intervened to save her life.
Another assertion in favour of the bill is that it is ‘restrictive’. But it’s only as restrictive as the two-most pro-choice psychiatrists in the country. I am not saying that this law will lead to abortion on request overnight. But, the legislation is based on bogus grounds that in other countries has led to wide-ranging abortion.
The assurances given by the Minister that this will not happen here are just assurances. They carry no weight once the law is passed. There is nothing in the legislation itself to prevent two pro-choice psychiatrists from signing away the life of an unborn child once they claim it is their “reasonable opinion”. Given that there are no appropriate clinical markers to judge whether or not the intervention is necessary, they are free to sanction as many abortions as they wish. This absence of any objective standard by which medical practitioners must form an opinion is in my Amendment.
What does this say about our concern for the right to life of a defenceless unborn child? To me, it shows a failure to recognise the humanity and existence of the unborn.
The legislation before us, for the first time in our history, allows the direct and intentional destruction of unborn human life in situations where there is no medical evidence to support that intervention.
It saddens me that some who voted for the legislation in my party call it a ‘pro-life’ Bill. The Labour Party has campaigned for 21 years for X case legislation. Their campaign was never about life-saving treatments for women. It was always about the provision of abortion in Ireland where the life of the baby is ended.
That’s exactly what this Government’s bill provides for. Let’s not pretend otherwise. And Labour won’t stop there, they are already campaigning for repeal of the 8th Amendment.
And it is significant that the decision in X is not binding because the X case was not argued, a fact clarified at the Hearings from legal experts. Furthermore, the ECHR, does not require Ireland to legislate for X (Section (iii) of RA), but rather to clarify the existing provisions for pregnant women. We can do this w/out legislating for X.
This legislation, I contend, is unconstitutional. It provides no advocate for the unborn. There is no equality for the baby consistent with Article 40:3:3.
The Bill fails to adhere to international standards about conscientious objection.
There are no time limits. The bill allows for abortion up to birth. If as Minister Reilly says that viable babies will be delivered alive, why wasn’t an amendment taken on this in the Dáil? This is a horrendous scenario.
The legislation will have a profound impact on our culture. There is absolutely nothing consoling or hopeful in the Bill. It sanctions the ending of human lives rather than trying to do everything possible to safeguard life and in the process it deceives the expectant mother .
There has been far too much emphasis placed on the assurances given by the Minister, to assuage people’s consciences, and far too little focus on what the bill actually permits. There are no ‘pathways to care’ offered for suicidal women. They were refused at Dáil Report stage despite Lucinda Creighton’s best efforts.
My own personal story has shown me the great chance life is. Today I am a mother of two great kids because two other mothers chose life. I know that life is a gift. Our responsibility as citizens and legislators is to look out for one another, particularly the most vulnerable in society. This legislation goes to the core of everything we stand for. We have an obligation to welcome everyone in life and protect everyone in law. The very least we can do for future generations.
The amazing advances in ultrasound technology illuminate the truth that the unborn child is a human being. In 1967, when the abortion law was introduced in Britain, politicians could have pleaded ignorance to the humanity of the unborn. In 2013, we don’t have this excuse.
I don’t want to lose the Fine Gael party whip but I do want to exercise my human right to make a conscientious decision. Almost every western democracy provides for a free vote on moral issues like abortion. Why don’t we have the confidence to trust our parliamentarians to make the right decision, without a whip?
I have been a committed member of Fine Gael for many years, the party that made a solemn promise to voters not to legalise abortion. It saddens me greatly that Fine Gael has broken this promise.
In the words of Thomas Moore: “Any public servant who would forsake his private conscience for the sake of his public duties, leads his country down the short route to chaos.”
In closing, I want to quote from a woman who emailed me. She said: “This Bill is particularly important to me because I am a woman, I am a psychologist and I’m pregnant. This legislation is meant for me. It is meant to make me feel more protected in pregnancy, but it does not. I know that as things currently stand in Ireland, without any legislation, that I will not be denied any treatment needed to save my life even if it leads to the unintentional death of my baby. I feel fully protected by that.”
Who could argue with that clarity? A clarity that I fully accept is reaffirmed in Sections 7 & 8 of this Bill.
So with a heavy heart and aware of what it will mean for my future in Fine Gael, but knowing that I have the best intention for expectant mothers and their babies, I cannot support the Bill as it stands.
Colleagues, Senators on all sides of the House, I ask you to support my Amendment.
I want to thank you all for listening. I appreciate the depth of feeling expressed on both sides of this debate.

www.prolifecampaign.ie

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Video of Silent Vigil during Dáil abortion vote – 11th July 2013

It has been a very difficult and gruelling few weeks for pro-life supporters. The YouTube below captures the mood and feeling outside Leinster House when pro-life people came together in silent vigil during the Dáil votes on the abortion bill. The road back will not be easy but the strength and resolve of the pro-life movement which has emerged in recent months is the kind of foundation that will ensure this unjust law will be overturned. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmayiWp6SJI

www.prolifecampaign.ie

 

Answer to the latest claims that have been made by Minister James Reilly and supported by An Taoiseach and others

The below document provides a short answer to the latest claims that have been made by Minister James Reilly and supported by An Taoiseach and others in recent days and weeks.

These claims are simply not true.  We believe it is important that it is put on the record on this day, a day when abortion is being voted through Dáil Eireann for the first time in our history.

—————–

The latest claims from Minister James Reilly – and why they are not true

To put maximum pressure on TDs with concerns about the abortion legislation, Minister for Health James Reilly has been making a number of claims that aren’t true. 

Claim 1: Minister Reilly says the legislation restates the general prohibition on abortion in Ireland.

So did the British abortion legislation. Abortion remains technically illegal in Britain but there are all sorts of exceptions meaning abortion on demand.
The Government is doing the same with this legislation. It is criminalising abortion, but creating wide exceptions – including where the abortion is sought based on a threat of suicide. The psychiatrists have to state that the abortion is the only means of averting the threat. But they have no evidence to go on, and there is no way of proving them wrong.

Claim 2: This legislation is only about saving women’s lives.

If only! We’d all support it. Ireland is recognised as one of the safest countries in the world for women in pregnancy.
If we provide abortion in response to a suicide threat, an unknown number of unborn children will be killed. Also, we may endanger the mental health of some women. The Master of the Rotunda Hospital, Dr Sam Coulter-Smith, repeated his concerns last week about the proposed legislation, saying that terminations in cases of suicide threats are not evidence-based and could ‘create more problems’.

Claim 3: The safeguards against abortion in the new legislation are much stronger than those that exist at present.

This is untrue. The existing situation is imperfect but it’s better than legislation for X. In the 21 years since the X decision, no abortion regime has taken hold in Ireland. But now for the first time, legislation will activate a legal mechanism for pro-choice psychiatrists to sanction an abortion because they deem a threat of suicide to amount to a risk to life.
Why are pro-choice Labour people who have campaigned for 21 years to liberalise our abortion law happy with this legislation? Anne Ferris says she’ll open a bottle of champagne when this goes through. Ruairí Quinn said in the Dáil a fortnight ago, “The enactment of this legislation will ensure that we arrive to a point where women in the Republic of Ireland do have the right to choose.” Ciara Conway says she’s proud to support the legislation. They obviously don’t think it’s restrictive!
The motivation behind the legislation has always been to appease Labour and its demand for the introduction of abortion.

Claim 4: Minister Reilly says we need this legislation because we are in the dark about what’s happening in our hospitals, whether abortions are taking place, whether the X case is being abused etc.

This is nonsense. It’s clear from the Oireachtas Health Committee hearings that a small number of necessary procedures for physical conditions result in the unintended loss of unborn children every year but nobody has any ethical concerns about this.
There have been no reports from the Gardaí, the media or elsewhere of abortions taking place in Ireland because psychiatrists have sanctioned it. There are no allegations of unnecessary medical interventions being approved for physical conditions in hospitals. Regardless of this, the Government knows that guidelines without X case legislation could give clarity here. We certainly shouldn’t create a mechanism for suicide-based abortions and pretend that this will make the situation better.
Activating the X case, which opens the door to abortion, cannot be called ‘pro-life’. We are introducing lethal procedures that have no medical evidence to back them up.

Claim 5: Fine Gael TDs must vote for this or we will end up with a more liberal abortion regime.

Despite these claims of James Reilly, the legislation is not restrictive. It gives us the liberal abortion regime that the X case made possible. This legislation is not the first step to liberal abortion. It is liberal abortion within a few years once the suicide ground becomes freely used. This happened with the ‘damage to mental health’ ground in Britain and the ‘suicide’ ground in California.
Remember, there is NO way for psychiatrists to know whether a suicide will take place or not, and no way to show that they have abused the legislation, even if it turns out that a small number of psychiatrists are sanctioning most of the abortions. They can simply hide behind the fact that they have certified ‘in good faith’. It’s abortion on request.
Most psychiatrists appear to be against the legislation. 113 psychiatrists have come out so far because of their real fear about how this law will be abused. We only need a small number of psychiatrists with pro-choice views to carry out abortions under the legislation.

Claim 6: Minister Reilly will come down hard if there’s evidence of abuses and close down facilities if necessary.

Even one abortion on the ground of threatened suicide is an irreversible, unjust act. We are going to have many.
But what can the Minister do anyhow? Abortion on the grounds of threatened suicide may have no medical justification but two psychiatrists and one obstetrician will be allowed to sign away the life of the child. The Oireachtas Health Committee hearings brought out the deep reservations among both obstetricians and psychiatrists about what is being sanctioned here. But despite his claims, the Minister has no way to second guess what any two psychiatrists may choose to do under the legislation or why they sign that form.

Claim 7: There are rare cases where a suicidal woman needs abortion to save her life.

No, actually, this is not the case. Where a woman has an underlying mental health illness, abortion is not the answer and could well be counter-productive for a woman’s mental health. It is not medical treatment.
Where there is no underlying mental illness, it’s not a medical situation at all. Psychiatrists just happen to be the ones asked to certify a woman’s eligibility for abortion. They can ask questions to determine how suicidal the woman is, they can suggest alternatives, but they have no way of knowing whether the woman will or will not commit suicide or whether the abortion will or will not affect the decision. Psychiatrists may decide on the basis of educated guesswork, pro-choice ideology or maybe just sanction the abortion as the best bet against being sued. Whatever they do, the Minister has no way of policing it.

Claim 8: The Government’s acceptance of an amendment to preserve the life of the unborn ‘as far as practicable’ should reassure pro-life people.

The amendment just adds insult to injury because it is so meaningless. It restates what’s already there and will have absolutely no effect when it comes to a woman who says she is suicidal. It remains the case that the Government is preparing to pass legislation that is not evidenced based and will certainly lead to the destruction of unborn human life. It also has the potential to put women’s lives at risk as the adverse effects of abortion on women are being ignored.

www.prolifecampaign.ie


Sunday, July 7, 2013

Minister Reilly’s amendment to abortion bill “adds insult to injury”, says Dr Ruth Cullen

 

“The Minister for Health’s recent offering of an amendment to preserve the life of the unborn ‘as far as practicable’ just adds insult to injury because it is so meaningless,” says Dr Ruth Cullen of the Pro Life Campaign.

"It just restates what’s already there and will have absolutely no effect when it comes to a woman who says she is suicidal. It remains the case that the Government is preparing to pass legislation that is not evidenced based and will certainly lead to the destruction of unborn human life. It also has the potential to put women’s lives at risk as the adverse effects of abortion on women are being ignored.

It is appalling the way Fine Gael TDs are being bullied to vote for this bill. Pro-life people have lobbied their TDs to vote against the bill which is perfectly legitimate in a democracy. But the Fine Gael leadership is asking its TDs to vote against their consciences. That’s an entirely different matter. To force someone to vote against their conscience is a despicable and inexcusable thing to do,” Dr Cullen concluded.

www.prolifecampaign.ie

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Pro Life Campaign challenges Minister for Health to public debate on abortion issue


“Unbelievable that Government has never debated contents of Bill live on air,” says Cora Sherlock

The Pro Life Campaign said it is disappointed at the result of this evening’s Second Stage vote on abortion in the Dáil but welcomed the fact that an initial four Fine Gael TDs voted against the bill. The Pro Life Campaign has also challenged the Minister for Health to a public debate on the contents of the bill saying it is “unbelievable” that he has never debated its contents live on air with opponents of the bill.

Pro Life Campaign spokesperson Cora Sherlock said: “While we are disappointed at this evening’s vote, we congratulate the TDs who voted against the bill, particularly those who were prepared to defy their party whip and vote with their conscience. We are confident that many more TDs will join them over the coming days in opposing the bill.

Ms Sherlock said: “It is cruel and unjust the way TDs with conscientious objections are being pressured and bullied to toe the party line. The Minister for Health has never debated the proposed legislation live on air with opponents of the bill. This is unbelievable given the seriousness of the issue. The Government has a duty to give the public an opportunity to hear the bill debated properly. The Pro Life Campaign challenges the Minister for Health to a public debate on the contents of the bill and what it would mean in practice, before it reaches the final stage in the Dáil.”



Pro Life Campaign volunteers at Dáil Éireann as the debate continues on the abortion legislation

www.prolifecampaign.ie

Monday, July 1, 2013

New opinion poll reveals majority opposes abortion on suicide ground

A new Amárach opinion poll has revealed that a clear majority of people are opposed to abortion as a response to a suicide threat. The poll, commissioned by the Pro Life Campaign, asked respondents to scale their support or opposition to abortion “if it were clearly shown that abortion is not a suitable treatment for a pregnant woman with suicidal feelings”. Of those who expressed an opinion, 60% said they would be ‘very unlikely’ or ‘unlikely’ to support abortion on such grounds. Just 40% of respondents said they would be ‘very likely’ or ‘likely’ to support abortion in those cases.
These findings contrast with previous opinion polls showing majority support for abortion on the suicide ground, but those polls did not draw respondents’ attention to the lack of medical evidence for abortion as a response to suicidal feeling.

“The key issue is public information,” Pro Life Campaign spokesperson Caroline Simons said in response to the poll. “The Government is fully aware from two sets of Oireachtas hearings that there is no medical evidence that abortion is an appropriate response to a suicide threat but they have refused to present this reality to the public. Legislating for abortion on the ground of threatened suicide shows complete disregard for the lives of women as well as for the unborn.  These latest poll findings clearly show that when people are made aware of the fact that abortion is not a treatment for suicidal feelings they are much less inclined to support abortion on this ground,” she said.


PLC spokespeople Dr Berry Kiely, Caroline Simons, Geraldine Martin and Wendy Grace

The poll also reveals 78% support a free vote on the abortion legislation versus 13% who said politicians should be required to vote with their parties. Ms Simons said that many Fine Gael TDs were very anxious to get a free vote but were coming under extreme pressure from senior members of Government. “Several Fine Gael TDs we have spoken to in recent days are very upset and even distressed at the way they are being pressured to vote for the bill,” she said. “And their frustration is with the Government, not us. A number of TDs have also expressed disgust at the way Justice Minister Alan Shatter seems to have no difficulty with imposing the party whip on this highly sensitive issue but when it suited him during the hare coursing debate he was all in favour of a free vote.”

The poll also found a continuing strong majority for prohibiting abortion once the distinction is made between abortion and all necessary life-saving treatment for women. Asked about “constitutional protection for the unborn that prohibits abortion but allows the existing practice of intervention to save a mother’s life in accordance with Irish medical ethics,” of those who expressed an opinion 69% were in favour with just 31% opposed.

"Taken together, these polls undermine claims that a broad consensus in favour of the Government’s abortion legislation actually exists. These polls differ from other recent polls by clarifying the important distinction between ethical life-saving treatment and induced abortion including on the suicide ground where the baby’s life is targeted.

“Irish opinion supports the weight of medical and psychiatric opinion against abortion on the grounds of suicide. The Government should stop misrepresenting the situation, listen to the experts and respect the informed opinion of the Irish people.”

Caroline Simons, Geraldine Martin 


www.prolifecampaign.ie