Pro Life Campaign Addresses UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva Today

The UN Human Rights Committee met in Geneva today and Deputy Chairperson of the Pro Life Campaign Cora Sherlock addressed the committee to speak in defence of Ireland's right as a sovereign nation to protect the rights of the unborn child.

In recent times the UN Human Rights Committee has been critical of Ireland's abortion laws specifically in terms of instances of rape, incest, fatal foetal abnormality and serious risks to the health of the mother. All of the above are extremely sensitive subject areas and one cannot but empathise to the plight that some women have had to go through. However once conception has taken place there are now 2 persons to be considered when we speak of human rights, the mother and the growing infant in the mother's womb.

To deny the humanity of the unborn child is to ignore the multitude of scientific research which clearly shows that once conception has taken place a new person has been formed. And all human beings regardless of age, gender, race etc. deserve the full protection of the law and their human rights must be considered also.

Read the most recent Pro Life Campaign article on the fundamental right to life of all members of the human family including the unborn or download here

Responsibility for Failure to Implement Sepsis Guideline Rests Solely With Government, says PLC

In the 2 years that has lapsed since the tragic death of Savita Halappanavar it is only now that the new guidelines on the management of sepsis during pregnancy are being rolled out.

At the time of Savita's death those pushing for abortion were only too willing to jump on this tragic issue as a means to further their cause. To do so without waiting for the full enquiry to take place was political opportunism in all its shady glory. However for it to take 2 years for the new guidelines to finally be implemented is quite frankly utterly shameful. If another woman befell the same fate as Savita whose hands would her blood be on? The efforts put in to push for abortion without knowing all the facts were quite extraordinary but to see such a lack of effort to push through the new guidelines on sepsis management during pregnancy can only lead one to wonder where some people's true motivations lie.

Read the most recent Pro Life Campaign article on the fallout from the mismanagement of sepsis during pregnancy highlighted in the case of Savita Halappanavar or download here

"What Age Were The Babies?" asks PLC of Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar

The Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar revealed the figures in relation to procedures carried out under The Protection of Life during Pregnancy Act 2013. According to the Minister 26 abortions were carried out, 14 as a result from a risk of physical illness, 9 as a result of an emergency from physical illness and 3 from a risk of suicide.

These are the only details revealed of the first ever abortions to be carried out legally in the Republic of Ireland. The precise circumstances around these procedures have not been revealed. It is understandable that those concerned need to have their identities kept private but for future practice surely the details needs to be made public so as people can understand the circumstances where these procedures were deemed necessary to have taken place.

Were the procedures for those facing a risk of physical illness an intentional act to end the life of the unborn child or did the child merely perish as a result of medical procedures that were needed to protect the life of the mother whilst at the same time protecting as much as was practicable the life of the unborn child? It is imperative that the circumstances surrounding each circumstance are clarified as it is clearly in the public interest. To not give out the details may jeopardise women's and babies health in future as it is important to understand and learn from these procedures.

In relation to the intentional killing of the unborn child due to the risk of suicide this is an act not based whatsoever on any medical evidence. Abortion has never been a treatment for suicidal ideation. These 3 babies, before this legislation was so needlessly enacted, would almost certainly be still alive today. It is a sombre thought.

Read the most recent Pro Life Campaign article in relation to "abortions" carried out under The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013 or download here

Amnesty's Close Links to "Women on Web" "Completely Undermines the Credibility of it's Abortion Report", says PLC

It has come to light in recent days that Amnesty's recent report on Ireland's abortion laws was compiled with assistance from the international abortion lobby group Women on Web. Almost without having to type another word it is blatantly obvious that any report on Ireland's abortion laws with the assistance of an abortion lobby group shows that the report is completely compromised.

This is very hard to fathom as any human rights organisation worth their salt needs to be able to show that they are completely impartial in all aspects of human rights issues that they make a stand on. Perceptions are key in this area. So not only should Amnesty be impartial in all of its practices it needs to ensure this is perceived by the general public and all stakeholders affected by the specific human rights issue being reported on at any given time.

Can Amnesty really have any credibility in discussing Ireland's abortion laws when there is a perception that the organisation has clearly been unduly influenced?

Read the most recent Pro Life Campaign article on Amnesty's Push for Abortion in Ireland or download here

Abortion Drone Set for Ireland, No More than a Cheap Publicity Stunt - PLC

Women for Waves has indicated that it is going to target Ireland with a drone drop of illegal abortion pills. This shows extraordinary arrogance by Women for Waves as firstly to give away free pills in any walk of life is reprehensible at best and to encourage pregnant women that taking a few tablets as a quick fix for an unwanted pregnancy shows a total lack of understanding into the multi-layered effects of abortion on women's physical as well as mental well being.

How can an organisation who wants to be perceived as caring for women's rights in good conscience prescribe drugs to vulnerable pregnant women without even consulting a medical professional?

Where are these pills coming from? What exactly is in them? Are they safe?

Whatever Women for Waves arguments may be on the issue this course of action is truly negligent and to be frank quite dangerous.

Read the most recent Pro Life Campaign article on this topic here

Pro Life Campaign Criticises Plans to Cut Lone Parents' Allowance

The governments plans to alter the lone parents' allowance shows a government out of touch with what is happening on the ground. Lone parents provide an extremely important duty to our society taking care of and raising the future of our country.

Lone parents like all parents have an intrinsic role to play in society and their value can not be underestimated. For the government to try and push through this cut in the lone parents' allowance shows a huge disregard for those parents raising families on their own and will only cause much worry and heartache before these measures are finally introduced. Parents need to be supported as much as possible and although changes are necessary, this abrupt course of action would appear not be have been thought out with due care and diligence.

Read the most recent Pro Life Campaign article on this topic here

The Loss of Even One Baby's Life is an Immense Tragedy, says PLC

The PLC was commenting on figures released today by Health Minister Leo Varadkar showing that 26 abortions took place in 2014 under Ireland’s new abortion law, saying that the loss of even one child’s life from abortion is an immense human tragedy. 
Commenting on the release of the figures, PLC Deputy Chairperson, Cora Sherlock said: “The Government and Minister Varadkar are fully aware that abortion is not a treatment for suicidal feelings. Yet they pressed ahead with legislation in 2013 providing for abortion on this ground, ignoring the expert evidence from two sets of Oireachtas hearings which showed that, far from being a medical treatment, abortion in the case of threatened suicide can have long term negative consequences for women. The loss of even one baby’s life from abortion is an immense tragedy. It is a very sad fact that the Government’s legislation in 2013 is directly responsible for the loss of life in the cases where three babies had their lives ended under the ‘threat of suicide’ ground for abortion."
 “It is difficult to determine from the information made available today whether the deaths of the other 23 babies under the new Act resulted from induced abortion that directly targeted their lives or whether some or all of them resulted from necessary medical interventions in pregnancy to save the life of the mother where every reasonable effort was also made to save the life of the unborn child.”

Ms Sherlock continued:  “Under the new legislation the Government deliberately blurred the distinction between necessary medical interventions and induced abortion. But what is not at issue is that three babies under the new abortion Act had their lived ended without a shred of medical evidence to suggest abortion on this ground would safeguard the life of the mother. Pro-life groups never claimed that the new law would lead to abortion on demand overnight. We stand by the claim we made in 2013 that over time the new law, unless it is repealed, will normalize the practice of abortion in Ireland and undermine the dignity and inherent value of every human life.”