Mother & baby home alternative to abortion

SIR, Many peoople who voted to repeal the Eighth Amendment were impressed with suffering women who opted for abortion in their severe crisis pregnancies. The Irish government now opts for abortion on demand as a quick-fix solution for this problem. The experience of many countries is that this ‘solution’ creates many more problems.

As an alternative to this recurring problem may I suggest that the Department of Health provide an alternative to abortion. It could do so in this affluent age by providing assistance to the women so afflicted – like finance as well as medical and psychological aid. Even logic cries out that women with their maternal instincts opt naturally to love their conceived babies.

In bygone years a cashstrapped government relied heavily on nuns to labour in workhouses and mother & baby homes on frugal subsidies to care for mothers and their infants.

Health services were very sub-standard then, resulting in high mortality rates for infants and mothers. The Department of Health could now provide mother & baby homes, with all services included, emphasis on privacy for the women, or provide services for the women who opt to live on their own. When their babies are born, the choice would be to retain their babies or place them for adoption.

A practical and beneficial spin-off would be that infertile couples could adopt “unwanted” babies in Ireland, sparing them the ordeal of travelling abroad and having to cope with intricate legal restrictions. Politicians should consider and depate this alternative, as our government seems to be completely fixed on abortion.

Sincerely,

(Fr.) Con McGillicuddy, Sacred Heart Residence, Raheny, Dublin.