‘We must not repeal the 8th’

Madam Editor

Calls by Dr Rhona Mahony for the repeal of the 8th Amendment on health grounds seem to be to be very wide off the mark.

We only have to look at the situation in England and Wales, where abortion was initially legalised on health grounds but where today, within a relatively short period of time, abortion is legal for any reason up to 24 weeks and up to birth in the event that the baby is diagnosed with any disability whatsoever. With the dismantling of the 8th it’s not unreasonable to suggest Ireland might follow a similar trajectory resulting in taking away the right to life of future Irish citizens for generations to come.

As it stands, the ongoing model of care in Irish hospitals value the mother and baby alike.

The introduction of abortion on health grounds would radically change the practice and radically change our society, making it one where the life of a baby in the womb is undermined and undervalued. Some wise person once said the measure of a society is how it treats its weakest members, arguably some of the most vulnerable are women in crisis pregnancies and their unborn babies. Surely we’re called as a society to protect them both.

Yours Sincerely,

Louise Clara, Church View, Leitrim Village Leitrim