PR: Abortion proposal a shambles

Abortion proposal a shambles since Fine Gael and Labour both ignore the evidence

22 APRIL 2013

The Life Institute has said that the government's abortion proposal is an 'unworkable shambles' which ignores the evidence on abortion and suicide.

Niamh Uí Bhriain of the Life Institute said both government parties were ignoring the medical evidence, and were unable to reach a common ground since they had different views on the killing of unborn children.  

"This proposal is tearing Fine Gael apart at the behest of Labour, and clearly there is no common ground here on the best way to proceed in allowing the direct killing of unborn children," she said.  

"Fine Gael are drawing up bizarre proposals to try to give the appearance of restrictions, while Labour favour the British model of abortion, and there is no common ground there," she said.    

A clinical psychiatrist said that the government proposal ignored all the medical evidence recently given at the Joint Oireachtas Committee hearings which showed abortion was not a treatment for suicide.

"All of the experts at the hearings said that abortion was not a treatment for suicidality. The government needs to listen to the evidence, and offer real solutions to women in crisis, " he said.

END