Oireachtas Committee on Health expected to send abortion report to government any day now
Following two stage-managed public hearings on the report of the abortion review, the Oireachtas Committee on Health looks set to call on the Government to give effect “without delay” to all of the extreme recommendations contained in the Review Report, authored by its chair Marie O’Shea.
The membership of the Health Committee unfortunately slants heavily in favour of abortion.
The Irish Times reported earlier in the week that the committee’s draft report says that it “supports [the recommendations] as an overall package.” This is a clear attempt by committee members to dodge having to give a justification for their support of each recommendation.
The “package” includes abandoning the three-day wait before an abortion, which we know has saved countless babies from abortion. Other recommendations which the committee appear ready to rubber stamp include a call for abortion on request to be permitted in the later stages of pregnancy and the introduction of a “statutory obligation” on healthcare workers to refrain from providing misinformation. This particular recommendation is worded in a pointed and discriminatory way towards pro-life healthcare workers and is silent about the issue of sanctions against pro-abortion doctors who mislead or withhold information from their patients.
What does it say about the current state of democracy in Ireland when every member of the Oireachtas Committee on Health - including fair-minded members - knew there was a predetermined outcome in place before they even began. It’s another one of those tick the checkbox exercises that brings the Houses of the Oireachtas into disrepute.
Think of the magnitude and seriousness of what the Committee on Health is about to recommend to the Government, then consider the irresponsible and cynical way they’ve approached their job as public representatives.
They heard the chair of the review answer “no” in their committee room when asked by Peadar Tóibín TD if before making the recommendation to scrap the three-day wait she had interviewed any of the women who are known to have availed of it and subsequently kept their baby. And they heard lots of other compelling evidence highlighting the shortcomings and built-in bias of the Review Report. But none of it unsettled them in the least. It’s reached a point where it’s almost impossible to imagine a pro-abortion recommendation they would not embrace.
It remains to be seen how the report from the Committee on Health will be greeted by Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin when it lands on the Cabinet table. Government officials will have a hard time keeping a straight face if they are asked to produce speaking points with the words “evidence based” and “exhaustive”, for referencing the report they’re about to receive. Members of government can trot out any soundbites and clichés they want but they won’t fool pro-life voters. With the efforts we’ll be undertaking in the coming months they can be certain of that.
Today, we launch the second in a series of Pro Life Campaign ads currently playing on multiple social media platforms, encouraging people to ‘think pro-life’ before they vote in the next election. Click hereto watch and share this short video.
It’s a really important message to be getting out to the public following the news we broke earlier in the week about the Government spending €46 million of taxpayers money on abortion over the past four and a half years, with not a cent of the money going to promote positive alternatives to abortion. Also, it’s a time when pressure is mounting for legislation to be introduced to give effect to the extreme recommendations from the three-year review of the abortion law.
Some media commentators and senior politicians in the Dáil view the pro-life vote as maxed out and of posing no real threat with ongoing growth. Those who propagate these views are blinkered and mistaken in their calculations. In truth, there's still massive potential for growing the pro-life vote.
For a start, it’s worth recalling that all of the TDs who opposed abortion legislation in the final stage vote in the Dáil in 2018 were re-elected in 2020. It shows for one thing that voters appreciate their elected representatives sticking by their principles. There’s also a lot of people who were reluctant ‘YES’ voters in the abortion referendum in 2018 who are horrified at what has transpired since then, from the huge increase in the number of abortions taking place to the fact that a majority of TDs voted against an amendment in 2021 that would have made provision for humanitarian pain relief to be given to unborn babies prior to late term abortions.
There are the people who feel things have gone too far along with those who voted ‘No’ in the 2018 referendum and still haven’t forgotten the lies told and political betrayal of those who still hold powerful positions in government.
The key to maximising the pro-life vote on election day is by starting to talk about it early and keep talking about it from now until election day. Whenever you see PLC content on social media referencing the ‘think pro-life before you vote’ message, take a moment and send it to your family and friends. The more we spread the word the more pro-life people will be elected in the Local and European Elections in June 2024 and in the General Election whenever it takes place.
On Sunday, 19th November, the outsider candidate Javier Milei romped home to victory in the second round of Argentina’s presidential election with 55% of the vote. A ‘colourful’ character to say the least, part of Milei’s worldview and beliefs which has not been as widely publicised is his firm commitment to defending the right to life.
The incoming libertarian candidate has received a maelstrom of media attention due to his personality, habits, and outside-the-box ideas to transform Argentina’s economy. He defeated the incumbent finance minister, Sergio Massa, whose candidacy was seen as representing the current government. But clearly a majority in Argentina yearned for change.
As a libertarian, Milei subscribes to the philosophical idea of the Non-Aggression Principle. Recognising that human life begins at conception, he opposes abortion as a violent intrusion of the unborn child’s right to life.
Abortion was legalised in Argentina in 2020 with the passage of the Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy Bill, which allows unrestricted abortion up to 14 weeks of pregnancy. Abortion is allowed beyond 14 weeks in cases of rape, risk of life to the woman, or a risk of stillbirth.
During the campaign, Milei outlined his intention to hold a referendum to repeal the controversial law if he were elected president. Opinion polling has showed that 50-60% of Argentines are opposed to the country’s new abortion law.
Pro-abortion activists in Argentina and internationally are deeply alarmed by the election of an avowedly pro-life candidate, who has described abortion as “the murder of a defenceless human in the womb of the mother”. The liberal English newspaper, The Guardian, is concerned that the election could have far-reaching effects, quoting a “professor of feminist studies” in an Argentine university who expressed fear that “all the work we have been carrying out for so long is being put into question, and that is very worrying.”
President-elect Milei is undoubtedly a controversial political figure, not all of whose ideas will appeal to readers of Vital Signs. However, his forceful defence of the pro-life position is commendable.
JOIN US: An evening for volunteers will take place in Dublin City centre on 13th December from 6pm. If you think you might make it along, please let us know. Thank you!
Listen Back to our spokesperson Eilís Mulroy on The Niall Boylan Podcast this week discussing the shocking breaking news of the Government spending of €46m on abortion provision in just 4.5 years!
Listen Back to our spokesperson, Eilís Mulroy, debating the so called ‘safe access’ zones bill on Newstalk breakfast with Shane Coleman. The Bill was voted on and passed in the Dáil.
Thanks to you, we exceeded our fundraising goal of €15k!
Thank you to all who donated auction items and prizes - we are so grateful for your generosity!
Also, a special shoutout and congratulations to the winners of our raffle prizes!! We hope you enjoy your hotel getaway, luxury hamper, vouchers and more!
What a success thanks to awesome supporters like you! Looking forward to next year’s auction!
It’s a really important time 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 now.
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.
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. Remember even the smallest effort will make a big difference.
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 if they possess such material (no matter how old or dusty!) to ensure it is preserved now and not lost to the ages.
Vital Signs is the e-newsletter of the Pro Life Campaign. 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]
