Yesterday, the HSE confirmed for the first time that gruesome D&E late-term dismemberment abortions are being carried out in Ireland under the new abortion law.
It was mentioned in a UCD study published earlier in the year that doctors were receiving training in how to perform D&E abortions but the admission that these abortions are actually being performed came this week in reply to a Parliamentary Question from Galway East TD Seán Canney.
Before the 2018 abortion referendum, senior politicians promised voters that D&E abortions would never happen if the Eighth Amendment was repealed.
In a Seanad debate back in 2013, former Senator Jim Walsh was roundly attacked by colleagues when he warned that D&E abortions would be sanctioned if legislation for abortion passed.
Then Senator Ivana Bacik (now TD for Dublin Bay South) accused Senator Walsh of “scaremongering” for suggesting D&E abortions would be permitted, and the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (IOG) went so far as to issue a public statement to “allay the fears of the public following statements made in the Seanad this week.”
The IOG press release continued: “The destructive methods described for second trimester termination of pregnancy are currently not carried out in this jurisdiction, nor will they be in the future.”
So much for this emphatic statement from the IOG. Included in this week’s confirmation from the HSE that D&E abortions are being carried out in Ireland was a reference to the fact that it’s the IOG who are overseeing the training of doctors in how to carry out these horrific dismemberment abortions that tear the baby apart limb from limb.
The Pro Life Campaign is thrilled to announce that Lila Rose, founder of Live Action, will be the special guest speaker at this year's National Conference which will be streamed live on Saturday 30th October from 11-12.30pm.
Other guests from home and abroad will also contribute to the conference and discuss exciting pro-life initiatives that are starting to produce results and inspire hope for a pro-life future.
In her amazing new book, Fighting for Life: Becoming a Force for Change in a Wounded World, Lila Rose tells how she grappled with her own insecurities and feelings of inadequacy before turning Live Action, the group she founded, into one of the largest and most successful pro-life groups in the world. To date, Live Action has generated over 1.3 billion views for its online videos across multiple platforms, reaching mostly young people with the pro-life message!
Join hundreds of other pro-life supporters at this year’s conference which will be streamed LIVE online.
Check our social media pages for updates on other guest speakers who'll be joining us for this uplifting and forward-looking conference.
The newly appointed Premier of New South Wales, Dominic Perrottet, is well known for his pro-life views and voting record.
Since assuming office, he has been attacked by media outlets over the stance he has taken on abortion. New South Wales is Australia’s largest state by population, with over 8.1 million citizens.
In 2019, Mr Perrottet strongly opposed Abortion Law Reform Act, which permits unrestricted abortion up until 22 weeks and allows abortion up to birth in certain circumstances. Speaking in the New South Wales Parliament before the new law passed, Mr Perrottet referenced the obligation to be a “voice for the voiceless vulnerable, who can’t speak up for themselves”, and stated: “I cannot – in good conscience – support a bill that stops the beating heart of an unborn child. If this bill succeeds and becomes law… it will represent the triumph of the powerful over the powerless”.
He concluded his speech against the Bill saying: “The real question is – what kind of society do we want to be? Hopefully one where new life is cherished, cared for and celebrated. One where we recognise the importance of mothers, the challenges they face, the difficulties they endure. And one where we recognise that unborn children also have rights.”
Mr Perrottet’s appointment as Premier of New South Wales is a great achievement and a very welcome development for the pro-life cause.
Channel 4 hosted a segment recently “Would you rather be pro-choice or pro-life?” The item featured a pro-life representative and an abortion supporter.
Eden McCourt represented the pro-life side and did a superb job explaining her reasons for being an advocate for life. The 5 minute piece has received over 500,000 views to date across various social media platforms. It’s well worth a watch!!!
Before Zoey-Lea O’Hehir found out that her unborn daughter had Down syndrome, her doctor already had scheduled an abortion.
In an interview last week with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Zoey O’Hehir disclosed how in the middle of teaching a classroom of students she received a call from her doctor who told her that her unborn daughter had Down syndrome and that the abortion had already been scheduled.
“It was very scary and just the mention of termination struck a nerve,” she said. “Before I could say anything, before I could process anything or even breathe [he’d scheduled the termination].”
Ms O’Hehir and her husband Jake rejected the idea of going for an abortion and are thrilled that their daughter Arlee, now seven months old, is doing really well and meeting all her developmental milestones. “She’s amazing and has brought so much happiness to our life,” her mother said. “She may have a little bit of low muscle tone, which comes with Down syndrome, but other than that she’s honestly just like a normal baby.”
The O’Hehirs, from New South Wales, are extremely upset at the way their doctor scheduled the abortion and how the care they received noticeably disimproved after they turned down the abortion. What the O’Hehir family went through is sadly not uncommon.
Down Syndrome Australia (DSA) said families are routinely pressured to have an abortion, or are not given enough support. “To hear families being repeatedly asked about termination and not supported in their decision [to proceed with the pregnancy] is a case of neglect,” DSA chief executive Ellen Skladzien said.
There have been numerous documented cases in Ireland as well of parents feeling pressured to abort their baby, following diagnoses of the baby having a disability, including where babies are diagnosed with Down syndrome. It is an encouraging sign though to see more and more families speaking out about their experiences and challenging the doctors who have taken it upon themselves to make a value judgement about the dignity and value of their baby’s life.
A majority of MLAs in the Northern Ireland Assembly have voted in favour of a bill to introduce censorship zones close to abortion facilities. The Bill, introduced by Green Party leader Clare Bailey, passed its second reading by 58 votes to 29.
If the Bill eventually becomes law, it will be a criminal offence to offer assistance, advice or even to pray outside abortion facilities in Northern Ireland. Jim Allister MLA has strongly criticised the proposed new law and pointed out that legislation already exists to deal with harassment or public order incidents if they were to occur.
Similar efforts are being made in the Dail to introduce censorship zones outside abortion facilities in this part of the island. The Government is fully aware that no incidents have occurred that justify this kind of draconian legislation being introduced. It’s clear the motivation of some proponents of such a law is to single out the pro-life movement and curtail the civil liberties of its supporters by falsely and unfairly creating the impression that pro-life people pose a threat to public order even though there’s no evidence whatsoever to substantiate the claim they are making.
Would you like to experience working with a pro-active Human Rights organisation?
If you would like, APPLY HERE to our exciting virtual intern programme for students!
Participants on the programme will have an opportunity to network with other young people and develop skills in advocacy, campaign management and project planning.
Internships run for one-week periods and are suitable for second level (Transition year or older) and third level students.
Each intern will do 4 hours supervised work each day and will be working on areas such as social media, contact with members of the movement nationwide, project planning and contributing to support work for women and their babies.
Internships are not paid, however expenses will be covered.
If you or a family member is interested, please complete the below form and we will be in touch with you presently. Placements are subject to availability.
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]
