Read more and get involved!👊

15th September 2023
View this email in your browser ([link removed])
In this Issue...

READ: (#1) Nearly 2,000 women didn’t proceed with abortion after three-day wait in 2022 alone, according to latest HSE data (#1)

READ: (#1) Human rights campaigner Lord Alton addresses (#2) Pro Life Campaign dinner (#2) in Dublin (#2)

READ: (#hhh) Prime Time euthanasia debate featured some excellent contributions (#hhh)

READ (#hh) : (#LBB) BBC report warns of link between social media and rise in abortions (#hh)

REGISTER NOW: PLC Network Webinar: Interview with Lord David Alton on the Abortion Situation with the Dáil resuming, Tuesday the 19th of September!

REGISTER TODAY: PLC National Conference 2023! (#PLCNC)

ACTION: Get involved in the Humanity Campaign – Communicate with your politicians this summer (#Humanity)

ACTION (#history) : Do you have pro-life material which could be historically relevant? (#history)
Nearly 2,000 women didn’t proceed with abortion after three-day wait in 2022 alone, according to latest HSE data (http://)
The latest information provided by the HSE in reply to a parliamentary question from Carol Nolan TD reveals that 10,779 women received a first consultation for an abortion in 2022. This is based on the number of claims for initial consultation reimbursements by GPs. The claims received in the same year for abortions performed totals 8,876. Therefore, it can be determined that 1,903 first consultations didn’t result in the final abortion appointment.

Responding to the news, Deputy Carol Nolan said: “With each passing year, the clear and unequivocal need to retain the 3 day reflection period is more firmly established. Only an approach rooted in a reckless and imprudent disregard for human life and the well being of women could argue for its abolition.”

In a press release commenting on the significance of the findings, Pro Life Campaign spokesperson Eilís Mulroy said: “It’s reasonable to infer that the vast majority of these 1,903 cases were of women who changed their minds during the three day wait period. Most presumably decided to keep their baby. The 2022 figure complements similar figures from previous years, and offers a strong endorsement to the effectiveness of the three-day waiting period. This provision in the law gives women in the stressful situation of an unplanned pregnancy a vital window of time to reflect.

“Proposals to strip away the three-day waiting period, as advocated by the deeply flawed three-year review, are based on ‘UNPAC’ study which interviewed a tiny sample of just 58 women who had abortions. It failed to interview even one of the thousands of women who have availed of the three-day reflection period and opted to continue with their pregnancy.

“It would be highly irresponsible to scrap the life-saving three-day reflection period considering the mounting evidence of its effectiveness as a small but significant safeguard which mitigates against the life-ending decision which many women come to deeply regret. Medical Council guidelines clearly state that a patient’s consent is not a once-off and shouldn’t be acquired in a stressful situation.”

The shock of learning about an unplanned pregnancy can be immensely stressful; allowing for same-day abortions would undoubtedly lead thousands of women to take a decision they would soon come to deeply regret. The Turnaway study (2020) found that 98% of women who were refused an abortion subsequently expressed gladness they didn’t have the abortion by the time of the child’s fifth birthday. To achieve informed consent and to save lives, the three-day wait is a necessary safeguard in the Irish abortion legislation.
Human rights campaigner Lord Alton addresses Pro Life Campaign dinner in Dublin (http://)
The annual Ceiliúradh Cois Life fundraising dinner for the Pro Life Campaign took place in Dublin last Saturday with over 600 people in attendance.

The highly respected human rights campaigner, Lord David Alton of Liverpool was the keynote speaker. Proceeds of the dinner ensure the vital education and support work of the Pro Life Campaign can continue — including running educational programmes for young people in the pro-life movement on college campuses and through the Future Leaders Programme.

In his address, Lord Alton said: “After the 2018 [abortion] referendum in Ireland the faint hearted might have abandoned ship – but the reverse has happened with huge numbers turning out to large events. Be encouraged that heroic figures like William Wilberforce [who campaigned for the abolition of slavery in England] experienced any number of defeats and setbacks before ultimately bringing about a change of heart, a change of direction, a change of law. They knew their cause was just.”

He continued: “In Ireland there have been nearly 30,000 abortions since the law was changed – one abortion for every seven babies born – and we know that a Government review is riddled with calls for even more extreme provisions, effectively calls for full decriminalisation throughout the 9 months of pregnancy.”

Drawing attention to the impact of legal abortion in his own country, he said: “In 1967 Britain was told that abortion would only be used in extreme circumstances. It was a lie then, and a lie now.In the UK one in four pregnancies now ends in abortion. 200,000 every year. There have now been 10 million abortions – one every 2.5 minutes some, in the case of disability, right up to and even during birth. 90% of Down Syndrome babies are now aborted.”

Lord Alton encouraged attendees at the dinner to continue to speak up for life and paid a special tribute to the large number of young people present at the dinner, for their courage and commitment in being active members of the pro-life movement.

Originally elected as the youngest Member of Parliament in a 1979 by-election in a parliamentary seat in Liverpool for the Liberal Party, Lord Alton received a life peerage in 1997 in recognition of his decades of parliamentary service, as well as for his human rights activism and charitable work.

Senator Rónán Mullen, Eilís Mulroy of the Pro Life Campaign and Sinead Forrest of Students for Life also addressed the gathering, with broadcaster Wendy Grace acting as MC for the event.

See more photos of the dinner here ([link removed])

Prime Time euthanasia debate featured some excellent contributions (http://)

Senator Rónán Mullen

On Tuesday, Prime Time addressed the issue of euthanasia. While it wasn’t the typical one sided feature we’ve come to expect from RTÉ when discussing issues like this, Louise Byrne’s 18-minute long lead-in report (before the studio discussion) was propelled by personal stories from the pro-euthanasia side with only passing references made to stories and statistics about, for example, the appalling way people in countries where euthanasia is legal are made to feel like a burden on family and society, resulting in them opting to end their lives.

The story of Marie Fleming and her court challenges a decade ago seeking to be allowed to opt for euthanasia in Ireland dominated the lead-in report. The report began and ended with contributions from her husband Tom, the well known pro-euthanasia campaigner.

In fairness, Louise Byrne’s report also featured some excellent contributions from palliative care consultant Dr Regina McQuillan, disability rights campaigner Conor Lynott and Professor Theo Boer from the Netherlands who reminded viewers that “once you have opened the door [to euthanasia] you will never be able to close it.”

Dr McQuillan said the introduction of euthanasia would “undermine trust” in the doctor-patient relationship, put the most vulnerable at risk and she made clear that no effective safeguards could be brought in to protect against the slippery slope effect.

Senator Rónán Mullen and Paul Murphy TD took part in the studio discussion that followed. Senator Mullen also strongly challenged the notion that “strict safeguards” would be effective if euthanasia was introduced, citing the statistic that 47% of assisted deaths in Belgium go unreported and he pointed out that the obligation for two doctors to sign off on each euthanasia case is routinely ignored there, with no disciplinary consequences for the doctors involved. Senator Mullen also mentioned the case of Kathleen Rogers who passed away in 2022 after her long battle with Motor Neurone Disease. He referenced Kathleen’s inspirational online
video ([link removed]) where she took issue with the attempts being made to introduce euthanasia in Ireland and spoke from the heart about how it would inevitably make people in similar situations like hers feel as though they were a burden on society and should consider euthanasia.

Paul Murphy did his best to reassure viewers that any safeguards introduced would be robust. The evidence however from countries like Canada, Belgium and the Netherlands completely demolishes his claim.

Notwithstanding that, the question remains - are the public even paying attention to the nuances of the debate or are opinions being formed purely on emotion? We’ll have a better answer to that question in the coming months as the Oireachtas committee hearings taking place on euthanasia/assisted suicide chaired by Michael Healy Rae TD will inevitably prompt further discussion and debate on the issue.
BBC report warns of link between social media and rise in abortions (http://)
(Scottish woman, Matilda, with her 10-month-old daughter, Penelope – interviewed for BBC report)
A recent study has examined the reasons underlying the rise in abortions in Scotland (by almost a fifth) in 2021 and 2022. The abortion rate was described as having reached a “record high”, by the BBC. Scotland’s abortion rate rose from 13,937 in 2021 to 16,596 in 2022.

Whilst the study stated there were various factors and acknowledged the reasons for the rise are “not entirely clear”, it partly blamed the rise of social media platforms like TikTok and viral videos which have cautioned against the use of hormonal contraception.

The BBC article quoted a young Scottish woman, Matilda, who became pregnant, having stopped using hormonal contraceptives. However, Matilda proceeded with her pregnancy and now has a 10-month-old baby girl, Penelope.

During the 2018 referendum, Ireland and Scotland were often compared with regards to the abortion rate in the respective countries. The Republic of Ireland and Scotland have a roughly similar overall population.

The Republic’s abortion rate is regrettably now catching up with Scotland’s, with current predictions indicating Ireland is on course to reach 10,000 abortions by the end of 2023. Despite the massive increase in the Irish abortion rate, particularly in 2022 and (seemingly) in 2023, no similar study has been undertaken to examine the causes underpinning the rise.

The sociological impact of social media is perhaps one explanation which could have contributed to Ireland’s exploding abortion rate. Other, likely more prominent factors, include the socio-economic impact of sky-high childcare costs, rising inflation, and the ongoing housing crisis. These factors coupled with the government’s total lack of interest in promoting positive alternatives to abortion, and in fact encouraging abortion by promoting the MyOptions abortion hotline and suppressing online ads from pro-life counselling agencies, have undoubtedly contributed to Ireland’s abortion crisis.

The Irish media will not even acknowledge, as this BBC report does, that there is a crisis in Ireland’s record high abortion rate of the past few years. The supposedly ‘independent’ Three-Year Review took no interest in examining this, and in fact grossly miscalculated the total abortion rate.

A full and objective investigation should be undertaken by fair-minded researchers into the causes underpinning Ireland’s startlingly high abortion rate.
PLC Network Webinar: Interview with Lord David Alton on the Abortion Situation with the Dáil resuming, Tuesday the 19th of September! (http://)
[link removed]
Register Now to Attend! ([link removed])
Register Today for PLC National Conference 2023! (http://)
[link removed]
Our annual National Conference this year will take place on Saturday, 14th October 2023 in the RDS Concert Hall, Dublin 4.

The main theme of the conference is 'Growing the Pro-Life vote, Bringing about change at election time' and underlines our focus on getting more public representatives elected who will speak up courageously for human rights, for the right to life of unborn children and for care and support for women in unplanned pregnancy.

The keynote speaker for the National Conference is Obianuju Ekeocha.

Obianuju Ekeocha is a highly respected and well known pro-life advocate on the international stage. She has 135,000 followers on Twitter (X), which gives an indication of the reach and impact she is having. She is the founder of Culture of Life Africa, an initiative dedicated to improving maternal healthcare services for women, while fighting against Western governments who commit vast sums of money for abortion and population control in African countries - something she appropriately describes as "ideological colonisation".

Seating for the event is limited - so don’t delay, register today below to attend the conference!
Stay tuned for updates on speakers in the coming weeks but for now, click below to register. See you there!
Register Now! ([link removed])
[link removed]
Humanity Campaign - Action alert! (http://)
[link removed]
With the Oireachtas adjourned for the summer, it presents a perfect opportunity to approach your local TDs and Senators and urge them to reintroduce some humanity into the debate on abortion. The Three-Year Review, a seriously flawed process which produced a one-sided and extreme report, will be considered by politicians in the autumn. It’s important that we take action over the summer.

We have produced a quick and easy Virtual Postcard for you to sign, which will automatically send an email to your local TDs. Use the button below to navigate into your county on our website and find your constituency.

It’s also important to have meetings with your TDs. These can be as simple as dropping into your local TD’s advice clinic to outline your concerns. Click below to register to lobby your local TDs. Don’t worry – we’ll help you every step of the way with advice on making the appointment to points you might consider raising.

We are heartened by the number of people actively involved and interested in meeting their politicians to express their views. The People Before Profit Bill which regrettably passed at 2nd stage of the Dáil on 31st May must also be countered. Even the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, has said this Bill goes far beyond the recommendations of the Three-Year Review – which are already extreme in their own right.

During Summer 2023, it is crucial to engage with our politicians and remind them not to overlook the referendum promises. We need to fight to ensure our abortion policy is aimed at reducing the abortion rate.

Please take a moment to get involved in the
Humanity Campaign ([link removed]) . Remember even the smallest effort will make a big difference.

Thank you!
Send an instant email to your politicians here ([link removed])
Read more about the Humanity Campaign here ([link removed])
Do you have pro-life material which could be historically relevant? (http://)
We are putting out a call for anyone in possession of any documents, photographs, correspondence, etc. relevant to the Irish pro-life movement throughout the decades. We are particularly keen to receive anything in your possession related to periods such as the 1983 referendum. A comprehensive history of the pro-life movement is yet to be written, but the historians of the future will need primary sources. We are asking for people to get in touch with the Pro Life Campaign (mailto:[email protected]) if they possess such material (no matter how old or dusty!) to ensure it is preserved now and not lost to the ages.
Follow us on social media!
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
mailto:[email protected]
[link removed]
I want to support the life-changing work of the Pro Life Campaign ([link removed])

Vital Signs is the e-newsletter of the Pro Life Campaign. We hope you and your families are keeping well in these unusual times. This email is to update you on what we have been working on recently, including news stories, project updates, and details of upcoming events. If you want to get in touch with us please do so by emailing [email protected]

============================================================
Copyright © 2023 Pro Life Campaign, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you signed up to receive updates from the Pro Life Campaign

Our mailing address is:
Pro Life Campaign
24 Mount Street Upper
Dublin 2
Dublin, Co. Dublin D02 R229
Ireland
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list ** here ([link removed])
This email was sent to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
why did I get this? ([link removed]) unsubscribe from this list ([link removed]) update subscription preferences ([link removed])
Pro Life Campaign . 24 Mount Street Upper . Dublin 2 . Dublin, Co. Dublin D02 R229 . Ireland