On Thursday 7 July, all Irish MEPs (except for Deirdre Clune MEP who did not vote) supported a resolution in the EU parliament which proposed to include a "right to abortion" in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
The motion was a PR stunt from pro-abortion MEPs, as the EU has no competence to legislate in this area, and altering the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU requires unanimity from all 27 Member States. The motion passed by 371 to 161, with a further 22 abstaining, and 151 MEPs being absent for the vote.
The motion was entitled "On the US Supreme Court decision to overturn abortion rights in the United States and the need to safeguard abortion rights and Women’s health including in the EU", and was a direct response to the recent US Supreme Court decision which overturned the Roe v Wade ruling.
All Irish MEPs in the "The Left" group in the EU Parliament (independents Clare Daly, Mick Wallace, Luke "Ming" Flanagan, and Chris MacManus from Sinn Féin) voted in favour, as did both Green Party MEPs, Grace O'Sullivan and Ciarán Cuffe.
Four of Fine Gael's MEPS (Frances Fitzgerald, Seán Kelly, Maria Walsh and Colm Markey) supported the motion, and Fianna Fáil's two representatives at EU level, Billy Kelleher and Chris Andrews voted in favour too. Andrews was one of the main sponsors of the resolution.
The motion proposed that a new Article 7a should be inserted into the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, which would state that "Everyone has the right to safe and legal abortion".
Thankfully the passing of the resolution has no legal effect, but it does demonstrate the pro-abortion mindset of a majority of MEPs at present, including nearly all the Irish delegation to the EU parliament.
To contact your MEP and express concern at how they voted, you can find their contact details here.
Lila Rose, President of Live Action, keeps her cool and does extremely well in interview with hostile and misinformed British journalist on the Roe v Wade decision. Click here to watch the interview.
Great to see such a mighty turnout in Dublin last Saturday for the Rally for Life. It was palpable at the event that the overturning of Roe v Wade in the US has brought renewed enthusiasm and hope to the movement, which is tremendous. Well done to all who participated. Onwards and upwards for the future! #prolife #rallyforlife #marchforlife
Wendy Grace wrote an excellent piece for last weekend’s Sunday Independent where she reflected on the overturning of Roe v Wade and what it means for Ireland. She also took issue in the article with Taoiseach Micheál Martin for his criticism in the Dáil of the Supreme Court decision. Click here to read Wendy’s piece.
Our next PLC Network Communications Workshop is fast approaching. The topic of this workshop will be Communicating the Pro Life Message Post Roe V Wade.
This workshop takes place Tuesday evening on the 19th July from 8-9pm online via Zoom.
Participation is free but pre-registration is essential. You can register instantly below.
Location: Initially remote working with some work based in Dublin
Job type: Contract
Remuneration: Negotiable
Closing date for applications: 15th July 2022
We’re looking for a Media Officer to join our high performing and growing human rights organisation.
We have an opportunity for an ambitious and passionate individual to help drive and foster good media relationships in order to achieve positive pro-life change across Ireland. As a Media Officer you will lead in planning, organising, communicating, and delivering media content across traditional and new media platforms.
To apply please attach your CV and a short covering letter to [email protected] outlining why you would believe you would be a good fit for this role by 15th July 2022
Part-Time Role: 15 hours per week (potentially 20 hours)
Location: Remote Work based in Ireland with occasional requirements to travel Dublin or college campuses for meetings
Open to: Candidates living in Ireland
Salary: Negotiable – depending on skills and experience
Start Date: August 2022
Contract: 9 months
Students for Life is seeking a dynamic and motivated individual who will contribute to the strategic development of the pro-life movement in Ireland via their role as Student Outreach Officer. This is an exciting opportunity for a suitable candidate who is deeply committed to pro-life activism.
Closing date:
Please send a covering letter and CV to [email protected] by Wednesday, 13th July 2022
The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly is expected to make a decision very soon on whether to end or sanction the continuation of telemedicine home abortions.
In a very distrubing new finding, 15% of women in the UK said they experienced pressure to go though with an abortion they didn't want to have.*
The HSE in Ireland recently acknowledged** that coercion is MORE likely to occur when abortions happen remotely.
Telemedicine abortion is anti-woman as well as anti-baby.
Take one minute to send an INSTANT message to your TDs asking them to urge the Minister for Health to immediately STOP telemedicine abortion now that Covid 19 measures have been eased in every other area.
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]
