The inexorable grinding of the pro-abortion gears in Ireland continues apace.
As NRL News Today readers are aware, Ireland will hold a referendum in 2018 on the nation’s very protective abortion laws, principally the Eighth Amendment to the Irish Constitution which guarantees equal rights to the mother and the unborn children.
There is intense politically maneuvering by those who want to radically undermine the existing laws. Their ideal is the recommendations from the Citizens Assembly, described by the pro-life Society for the Protection of Unborn Children as recommending that that Ireland should legislate for abortion “with many saying there should be no restrictions at all.”
Currently a stacked Oireachtas [Parliament] Committee is taking testimony about the Eighth Amendment. According to the very, very pro-abortion Irish Times, a pro-life individual– Marty McCaffrey, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina —and one pro-life organization–Both Lives Matter—“declined to participate in the committee’s deliberations, both claiming it is biased towards a pre-determined outcome.”
In a story posted yesterday, Sarah Bardon added, “Only one anti-abortion witness remains, a group called One Day More, which represents families who received a diagnosis of fatal foetal abnormalities but continued with their pregnancies.”
Invited to testify by Fine Gael Senator Michelle Mulherin, who is not a member of the committee, Prof. McCaffrey wrote this week declining the invitation which was issued in late October. [Fine Gael is a political party.]
“In reviewing the proceedings, testimony and transcripts from records on the committee website one can only conclude that the Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth is a ‘kangaroo court’. It is simply stunning that most committee members did not see the need for a fair hearing for such a momentous issue as the repeal of the Eighth Amendment, but were satisfied with such a prejudiced process.
“I hope that the Irish people will not be deceived by such theatre.”
“Both Lives Matter” told the committee it would not participate in what it described as a “deeply-flawed process,” but would provide written testimony.
Meanwhile, the UN continues to ratchet up the pressure on Ireland. Following a decision in June by a UN Human Rights Committee, the government paid $34,000 to Siobhan Whelan whose baby was diagnosed with a fatal fetal anomaly, according to RTE news.
The UN committee ruled Ireland’s abortion laws violated the rights of Ms. Whelan and ordered the State to compensate her and provide her with psychological treatment, which the Government said it has done.
The Committee also said Ireland was obligated to take steps to prevent similar violations occurring in the future by amending its law on voluntary terminations.
Previously the Irish government paid a similar amount in a similar case in 2016 to Amanda Mellet.
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With that as a backdrop, the Irish Times’ Bardon reported
Ireland will face further cases before the United Nations if it fails to change abortion laws, an Oireachtas committee has been advised.
The committee examining the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution was warned the State would be further criticised by the UN human rights committee and be forced to pay compensation to individual women if the status quo remained.
Centre for Reproductive Rights (CRR) regional director Leah Hoctor said Europe was “watching and waiting” for Ireland to take action.
LifeNews.com Note: Dave Andrusko is the editor of National Right to Life News and an author and editor of several books on abortion topics. This post originally appeared in at National Right to Life News Today —- an online column on pro-life issues.
