At the annual March for Life gathering in Dublin on Monday, attendees were reminded to keep political parties’ stance on abortion in mind when casting their votes in the forthcoming elections. This comes at a time when the Government has come under fire over hesitancy in acting upon the findings of an independent review of Ireland’s abortion laws.
While an options paper concerning the reform of abortion law is set to be debated by ministers, higher-ups suggest that major alterations are unlikely prior to the approaching general election, due to take place no later than March end.
As countrywide and European elections loom in early June, Eilís Mulroy from the Pro Life Campaign announced plans to roll out a comprehensive guide for voters in the weeks ahead. Mulroy expressed her hopes that this guide would assist pro-life centered voters in making informed decisions in the upcoming elections.
She also alleged a surge in the number of abortion procedures performed in Ireland, based on recent data concerning reimbursements to abortion providers for the ongoing year. Describing the situation as devastating, she urged efforts to promote pro-life considerations amongst voters ahead of Election Day.
In 2022, Ireland witnessed 8,156 pregnancy terminations under the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 – a marked increase from 4,577 and 6,577 in 2021 and 2020 respectively, years affected by significant Covid-19 restrictions.
Abortion was legalized in Ireland post a 2018 referendum that saw the successful repeal of the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment. From 2019, the enacted legislation allowed pregnancy terminations.
A legislated review of this legislation saw barrister Marie O’Shea being tasked by the Health Department in 2022 with its execution. The April-published review advised decriminalising doctors, eradicating the obligatory three-day waiting period for abortion medication access, and legally obligating healthcare professionals to avoid disseminating misleading information. It cited lop-sided service availability nationwide, with scant access especially reported in the west and southeast regions.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly remains contemplative about the impending analysis ahead of finalising suggestions to present before the Cabinet. Taoiseach Simon Harris adamantly contends that all recommendations for alterations to Ireland’s laws governing abortion necessitate careful scrutiny. He has indicated that any scrutiny of suggestions from Ms O’Shea should be conducted with a comparable degree of sensitivity as discussions concerning the Eighth Amendment referendum. Moreover, Mr Harris expressed a desire to value the variety of opinions on this issue and to generate a shared agreement. More details were provided by PA.