Ireland’s Children’s Minister has been pushing aggressively to strip unborn children of their right to life – the opposite of what her title suggests.
For years, Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone has been advocating for legalized abortion in Ireland.
The Eighth Amendment of the Irish Constitution recognizes that unborn babies have a right to life from the moment of conception. However, it has been a major target of abortion activists, backed by some of the richest men in the world.
On Tuesday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced that a referendum vote on whether to overturn the amendment will be held in May or June of 2018, The Independent reports.
After the announcement, Zappone urged the government to act swiftly in setting up the referendum, according to the Irish Examiner.
She said they must ensure the vote takes place before the next election. If it does not, the chance of legalizing abortion in Ireland could be delayed for “a long time,” Zappone said.
Her comments come amid concerns that the May/June schedule may not be achievable because of procedural regulations. Politicians in a committee to examine the Eighth Amendment said they are worried about meeting a December deadline for the referendum.
Here’s more from the report:
Speaking to the Irish Examiner at a National Youth Council of Ireland event at the Mansion House in Dublin, Ms Zappone said while the December committee deadline is “ambitious” she believes it can be met.
However, she added that any significant delay to the referendum date could push the vote “into the next electoral cycle, which could put it back a long time”.
“I think it is an ambitious deadline, I absolutely support Taoiseach Varadkar though in establishing a timeframe by way of encouraging and motivating us to get there.
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“It’s important we have a deadline, I think it’s one of the most important things this Government does allow people the opportunity to vote in relation to the eighth amendment and we do need it sooner rather than later, not only because women have waited for years but also because of the political context, that we are in a minority government.
Despite her role as an advocate for children, Zappone has been pushing for legalizing abortion in Ireland and thereby denying unborn babies a right to life.
Last year, she participated in a pro-abortion rally in Dublin calling for voters to repeal the pro-life Eighth Amendment.
Wearing a black sweatshirt with the word “Repeal” printed across it, Zappone told reporters at the rally, “It’s my hope that what we’re doing today will ensure we get a referendum and the government moves as quickly as possible.”
Another reason why abortion activists are pushing for a vote in May or June is because Pope Francis is scheduled to visit in August. Abortion activists are afraid that the Catholic leader’s visit could influence voters to support unborn babies’ right to life.
Catholic priests and bishops in Ireland have been strong advocates for unborn babies in the on-going abortion debate, and Pope Francis likely would echo this during his visit during the World Meeting of Families. The pope frequently has described abortion as a product of our “throw-away culture” and urged Catholics worldwide to be compassionate advocates for unborn babies.
Pro-lifers estimate that the Eighth Amendment has saved approximately 100,000 unborn babies’ lives from abortion in Ireland. The country also has one of the lowest maternal mortality rates and best health care for women in the world.
That’s one of the reasons why Niamh Ui Bhriain of the Life Institute in Ireland believes American billionaire George Soros and abortion activists are pushing so strongly to repeal the amendment.
“… Ireland’s experience shows that you could ban abortion and protect women’s lives,” Ui Bhriain told Breitbart in a recent interview. “We have one of the lowest maternal mortality rates and some of the best maternal healthcare in the world, according to the UN. So abortion campaigners are focused on smashing Ireland’s laws because they know pro-lifers the world over can look to Ireland as a real, proven example of why abortion is never necessary.”
Documents leaked last year from Soros’s Open Society Foundations revealed that abortion activists have an extensive, well-funded plan to legalize abortion in Ireland. The document showed the foundations’ three-year plan through 2019 to target laws in Ireland, Mexico and other pro-life countries, the Catholic News Agency reported.
Grassroots pro-life advocates are working hard to stop abortion activists from succeeding. Ui Bhriain said they have thousands of volunteers who are going door to door to talk to people about abortion.
“There are 1.1 million homes in Ireland,” Ui Bhriain said. “We’ve reached almost 200,000 with the canvass so far, and expect to reach a total of 800,000 before polling day.”
Polls indicate a strong majority of Irish voters oppose abortion on demand. However, there is some support for repealing the Eighth Amendment to allow abortions in cases of rape, the physical and mental health of the mother and fatal fetal anomalies.
