Reject repeal proposal... and then produce a more humane one
■ In Pennsylvania four years ago, a doctor who was licensed to carry out abortions, and had performed 16,000 legally, was sentenced to life in prison for taking the life of lateterm babies born alive. Abortion is legal there up to 24 weeks.
Nonetheless, later term and after-birth terminations were carried out as demand does not stop, even at 24 weeks. The shocking account of this, written by two Irish journalists, one of whom had been pro-choice, is hardly covered in Ireland.
In the trial the prosecution called an “eminent” obstetrician/ gynaecologist to explain abortion. To establish his professional credentials he was asked how many legal terminations he had personally carried out. “At least 40,000,” was his matter-of-fact reply.
The defence called a witness to support the prosecuted doctor.
She said she had every confidence in him and had demonstrated this by having 18 abortions by him.
Since Roe v Wade, 55 million abortions have been carried out in the United States. There has been a comparable number in the UK and 180 million women are missing from the world’s population because of genderbased abortion. I see no reference to these figures in the Oireachtas committee’s report.
To allow the Oireachtas to legislate for abortion without restriction up to 12 weeks is unacceptable to me. Moreover, I have no doubt that, in time, 12 weeks will become 16 and then 20 etc.
Have any forecasts of the number of abortions likely to arise here been attempted? Should we not have some information on this before we decide? Will this draft legislation be accompanied by spending proposals to support mothers and families in crisis pregnancies, as my Private Member’s Bill ‘The Care of Persons Board’ did?
The children and adults who are now walking about and living full lives because their mothers did not terminate their crisis pregnancies have not been heard. Why?
I find it extraordinary a committee can agree that doctors can discern when an abortion is allowable because a woman is suicidal, but that doctors are not capable of establishing a prima facie case that a rape has taken place.
Whether one agrees with it or not, to allow for abortion in cases of rape or where the baby cannot survive birth, or where there is a serious threat to the health of the mother can at least be argued. There is no ethical case for abortion on demand. We have led the world on gay marriage and in electing a Taoiseach who is openly gay. Let’s lead the world on ethical life issues.
I was campaign manager for five referendums. Two of these were voted down and, in time, rerun when people’s concerns were addressed. If we reject the current proposal it will be possible to find a more humane one.
Gay Mitchell Dublin 6 Gay Mitchell is a former TD and MEP