The Ceiliúradh Cois Life Online Auction to fundraise for our educational and support initiatives is closing TONIGHT at 9pm sharp.
There is still time to register, browse and bid on the many interesting items including art, jewellery, hampers and luxury breaks.
Registration for this event is now free. You canregister here
You can also buy raffle tickets for just €10 and be in with a chance to win a hotel break in Sligo, a luxury Hamper, a bottle of champagne and lots lots more.
All proceeds raised from this event will go towards the Pro Life Campaign’s education and support programmes.
Looking forward to your participation and thank you for your continued support of this cause.
In a move that has captured the attention of the global media, the Dutch Minister for Health has publicly confirmed that the Government intends to legalise the euthanasia of minors. A report last year from the Dutch Society of Paediatrics recommended euthanasia for certain children between the ages of 1 and 12. In the Netherlands, under the 2004 Groningen Protocol it is already legal for doctors to end the lives of seriously disabled newborns up to the age of 1. It is also permitted for teenagers aged 12 and over to request euthanasia, with either parental consent or notification. It is likely that this legislation will have no trouble passing the Dutch parliament, as a preliminary vote on this issue already occurred in 2019, and the proposal received the backing of MPs. Should this proposal become law, the Netherlands will follow its neighbour Belgium in permitting child euthanasia, which has been legal there since 2014. This debate on child euthanasia is happening at a time when the Dáil is considering introducing its own euthanasia/assisted suicide bill.
Recently TDs voted to advance Gino Kenny's Dying with Dignity Bill beyond second stage. In what was a surprisingly close vote, 71 TDs voted against. You can see how your TDs voted here. It seems clear that Irish palliative care doctors remain overwhelmingly opposed to the Bill.
To get more involved on this issue, please sign up here to get updates from Hope Ireland.
The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly and the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee have both confirmed that they met with no palliative care consultants or experts in the field before voting last week in favour of Gino Kenny’s euthanasia bill which passed second stage in the Dáil and will now proceed to committee stage before a final stage vote in the Dáil.
In the weeks leading up to the Dáil debate on the matter, it became clear that there was overwhelming opposition to the bill from palliative care consultants and other healthcare professionals working in the area. Yet, despite this opposition and the fact that the debate in the Dáil on the bill lasted just over one hour from start to finish (with just four minutes speaking time afforded to the opposing side!), Ministers Donnelly and McEntee, along with Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, Higher Education Minister Simon Harris and other leading members of government saw fit to back the Kenny bill regardless, a bill that permits euthanasia on very wide ranging grounds.
Thanks to Carol Nolan TD, the information about Ministers Donnelly and McEntee meeting with no palliative experts before the vote is now publicly on the record. She sought the information from the ministers in the form of a Parliamentary Question.
Senator Rónán Mullen has introduced a Private Members’ Motion in the Seanad highlighting the persecution of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region of China, and calling on the Government to use all diplomatic and trade channels, including Ireland’ seat on the United Nations Security Council, to put pressure on China.
Senator Mullen said: “The persecution of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang region of China has horrified people across the world. Since 2017, we’ve had reports from China that at least one million Uyghur Muslims are being held in detention camps without due process. Many are subjected to torture, forced labour and psychological abuse.”
Senator Mullen also referred to the forced abortions and sterilisations taking place in the Xinjiang province at the hands of the Chinese authorities.
Senator Michael McDowell and other members of the Seanad spoke in favour of Senator Mullen’s motion. The Government however has refused to commit to taking the kind of decisive action that would shine a spotlight on China on the matter and force the kind of changes that are needed. It’s clear that the Government doesn’t want to fall foul of the Chinese authorities by taking a stand on the matter. Compared to the stances adopted by other countries, the response of the Irish government to the cultural genocide presently taking place in China has been timid and weak and totally ineffectual.
If you spot our social media graphics for Month For Life, please take a moment to share them on your own social media platforms. Let's spread our message of support for mothers in unplanned pregnancy and protection of their unborn babies.
Want to learn how to explain the pro-life position (or advance your knowledge) and skillfully answer challenging questions? This Communications Workshop will cater for all levels and will take place online on on Wednesday 21st October 8.30-9.30pm. The event is free but pre-registration is essential and numbers are limited.
Join hundreds of other pro-life advocates at the PLC National Conference 2020 which this year will be streamedlive ONLINE on 31st October from 11am-1.30pm.
An amazing line up of speakers from Ireland, Britain, the US and elsewhere will join the event. This not to be missed event will be encouraging, and will remind us of how important it is to remain committed to our work of protecting mothers and their unborn babies!
Are you a secondary school (TY or older) or third level student? Would you like to experience working with a pro-active Human Rights organisation and develop skills in advocacy, campaign management and project planning? We are seeking ‘virtual’ interns to work part-time from home at this time. Internships run for one week periods throughout the Summer.
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]
