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Pro-life groups in Ireland say they’ll regroup and keep fighting to defend unborn children as the battle shifts to rearguard action after Friday’s majority vote for legal abortion.
Nearly 66 percent of a 64 percent turnout of Irish citizens voted to repeal the country’s Eighth Amendment, which recognizes the unborn child’s right to life, in a result pro-life leaders described as tragic and heartbreaking.
Health minister Simon Harris said after Saturday’s vote count he would ask for cabinet approval as early as Tuesday to turn the government’s draft law into a proposed legislative text, the Guardian reported.
Harris said he’s hoping to bring in legislation on abortion in “early autumn” and Irish prime minister, or Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, said the law will change within six months to allow abortion.
“We will hold the Taoiseach to his promise that repeal would only lead to abortion in very restrictive circumstances,” countered Dr. Ruth Cullen, spokesperson of the LoveBoth campaign, on Saturday.
The proposed law permits abortion after the 12th week on the grounds of alleged risk to the mother’s life or “serious risk” to her health, or for alleged fatal fetal abnormality, and with approval by two doctors.
It will restrict abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy but allow it at any stage for alleged fatal fetal abnormality.
Nearly 66 percent of a 64 percent turnout of Irish citizens voted to repeal the country’s Eighth Amendment, which recognizes the unborn child’s right to life, in a result pro-life leaders described as tragic and heartbreaking.
Health minister Simon Harris said after Saturday’s vote count he would ask for cabinet approval as early as Tuesday to turn the government’s draft law into a proposed legislative text, the Guardian reported.
Harris said he’s hoping to bring in legislation on abortion in “early autumn” and Irish prime minister, or Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, said the law will change within six months to allow abortion.
“We will hold the Taoiseach to his promise that repeal would only lead to abortion in very restrictive circumstances,” countered Dr. Ruth Cullen, spokesperson of the LoveBoth campaign, on Saturday.
“He gave his word on this, now he must deliver on it. No doubt many people voted for repeal based on the Taoiseach’s promises in this regard,” said Cullen, as quoted in the Irish Catholic.Pro-life activist Cora Sherlock, deputy chair of the Pro-life Campaign, reiterated in a tweet the day before the referendum that the government was proposing unrestricted abortion.
“Tomorrow’s vote is about abortion on demand. It’s not restrictive, it’s not limited. A vote for repeal would introduce abortion laws more extreme than the law in Britain where 1 in 5 babies are lost to abortion,” she noted.She tweeted Saturday the fight wasn’t over.
Today is a sad day for Ireland and for people who believe in genuine human rights. The struggle to defend the most vulnerable has not ended today, it's just changed. Thank you to all the incredible people who worked so hard to protect women and save babies. We fight on. #8thref
“We now have to hold the government to what they have said, that they want to see a situation where abortion will be rare,” Sherlock told Reuters.She told the Irish Independent that she was “very, very upset” by the vote.
“I will accept the will of the Irish people, at the same time I will make it very clear what I feel of the campaign that has taken place,” she said. “We will now regroup and find out what our next move is.”The government’s draft law will allow abortion on demand in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, after a three-day waiting period, according to the Guardian.
The proposed law permits abortion after the 12th week on the grounds of alleged risk to the mother’s life or “serious risk” to her health, or for alleged fatal fetal abnormality, and with approval by two doctors.
It will restrict abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy but allow it at any stage for alleged fatal fetal abnormality.
“We will oppose that legislation,” John McGuirk of Save the 8th campaign noted in a statement Saturday. “If and when abortion clinics are opened in Ireland, because of the inability of the government to keep their promise about a GP-led service, we will oppose that as well.”Life Site News article continues here
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