The war on Ireland's unborn has entered a new and deadly phase

We reported in June and October that relentless pressure is being exerted, by pro abortion forces in the lead up to the next general election in Ireland, to remove Ireland’s remaining protection for the lives of unborn babies.

Now that it is clear that the next general election will be held in spring 2016 this pressure is becoming even more relentless.

Minister for Children James Reilly on Sunday Nov 22nd called for a referendum on the issue to take place early in the next Dáil term. Reilly called for the next government to move quickly to repeal the 8th Amendment, which gives equal rights to the life of the mother and that of the unborn.

The Irish Independent reports that Taoiseach Enda Kenny was furious at Reilly’s intervention and gave him a severe dressing down prior to the Cabinet meeting yesterday.  With an eye on being returned to power after the next election neither Kenny nor his Finance Minister Michael Noonan wanted the issue of abortion, the taking of unborn human life, to influence their campaign or to cause further strains in the Fine Gael Party, bearing in mind that five TDs and three senators, including then minister Lucinda Creighton, were forced to resign from Fine Gael in 2013 for voting against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill.

Reilly’s intervention according to the Irish Independent  caused a bitter split among Fine Gael Cabinet ministers over the party's approach to the divisive issue of the taking of unborn life and forced Mr Kenny to assure his parliamentary party that, in the event of a referendum to repeal the pro-life amendment, TDs and senators would be permitted vote in accordance with their conscience.

Kenny  also said the Fine Gael manifesto will not commit to a repeal of the Eighth Amendment instead it would pledge to refer the issue to a 'Citizens Convention', which is clearly a prelude to taking a decision to hold a referendum on the issue.

Meanwhile Labour Women has made clear that seeking a referendum to remove the remaining protection of the unborn from the Irish Constitution will be a major plank of the Labour Parties general election campaign.

Labour Women commenced its campaign with the publication of draft anti life legislation they hope will replace the pro-life amendment if they succeed in repealing it.

The draft legislation published by Labour Women would allow for killing unborn babies on grounds of: risk to life of the mother, risk to health of the mother, rape and foetal abnormality. In short it is a recipe for abortion on demand

No one should be under any illusion about the issue, a major battle about the rights of the unborn has already begun and everything must be done to protect all unborn life. 

Not only should article 40.3.3, the 28^th amendment to the Irish Constitution remain, to ensure that the lives of all unborn babies be given constitutional protection, it is also essential for pro-life organizations to seek the strengthening of the existing amendment to counteract the effects of recent pro-abortion legislation.We must take the initiative away from the anti life forces and demand full and unambiguous protection for all unborn babies.

Reilly signs order to commence legalized killing of the unborn from January 1st

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According to the Irish Independent health Minister Dr James Reilly has signed the order to bring the controversial abortion law into operation from January 1 2014 a day that go down in infamy.

The Protection of Life During Pregnancy act was passed by the Oireachtas consisting of both houses of the Irish Parliament last July and signed into law by President Michael D Higgins. But it required a commencement order from Dr Reilly to take effect.

It is understood that the commencement of the law was due to the need to publish regulations. The independent however reports that the delay occurred in order to establish a review panel to deal with applications for termination of pregnancy.

This could be more accurately described as termination of unborn babies lives

In what is clearly an assault on their right to conscientious objection 25 hospitals in the State have been listed to carry out abortions irrespective of whether medical personnel are willing to do so or not.

Tension between Irish Government parties on abortion issue

In response to a report that the ‘draft heads’ of a bill for the introduction of abortion in Ireland included assessment of requests for abortion by a panel of six doctors, Labour Minister Pat Rabbitte, along with colleague Jan O’Sullivan, said he would have serious concerns if draft legislation included a proposal that six doctors would be required to assess if a threat of suicide by a pregnant woman represented a real and substantial risk to her life.

Health Minister Dr James Reilly meanwhile is reported as saying “some people may have formed the wrong impression”. “The heads of the bill are not finalised. They are still in process. It would not be appropriate for me to discuss what is in them until they have been discussed at the appropriate level which is cabinet,” he told reporters this morning.

Dr Reilly said after he brings the heads of the bill to Government, they will go to the Oireachtas committee on health where the heads can be discussed before the bill is finally drafted. “Obviously the drafting of that bill will be very much informed by what happens at the Oireachtas Committee,” he said.

Dr Reilly revealed it was his intention to bring it before the cabinet tomorrow. He anticipated that were would be disagreements about it at cabinet level, at the Oireachtas committee and even after the bill is drafted.

“I want to reassure people that there will be no question of a woman in distress with suicidal ideation being put through the sort of interviewing process that we have heard about on the television and the radio,” he explained.

“At the heart of this is a need for legislation to clarify the situation for women who have to use the service and for doctors who have to provide it.”

The Irish Times reported Monday April 22nd that Labour leader and Tánaiste Éamon Gilmore has said the timetable for the introduction of abortion legislation is on-track, but it is important that the content of the legislation is right.

Speaking in Luxembourg this morning, where he is chairing a meeting of EU ministers, the Tanaiste said the purpose of the legislation was to “provide certainty to women and their medical practitioners.”

“We have a timetable which is to have this legislation dealt with by the summer recess. We intend to keep to that deadline, but of course it’s important that we get the content of the legislation right, because the whole purpose of this legislation is to protect the lives of women, and to provide certainty to women who find themselves in this situation.”

His comments come in the wake of reports that deep divisions between the coalition partners on how to delay the suicide aspect of the law, could delay tomorrow’s publication of draft abortion legislation.

High-level talks took place over the weekend involving the offices of Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Mr Gilmore, as well as Minister for Health James Reilly, in an effort to find a solution that would accommodate the dramatically different viewpoints of the Labour Party and sections of Fine Gael on the inclusion of a suicide threat as a ground for a legal termination.