A year on its clearer than ever that abortion is nothing to celebrate 

The Life Institute has said that the twelve short months that have passed since the repeal of the 8th amendment have made it abundantly clear that the vote was a mistake and that abortion is nothing to celebrate. Spokeswoman Niamh Uí Bhriain also said that it was shameful to see Yes campaigners celebrating with balloons in a week where it was revealed that a 15-week old unborn baby was aborted after a misdiagnosis of an abnormality in the National Maternity Hospital. 

"It's barely five months since abortion became legal in Ireland and already the horror stories are starting to emerge," said Ms Uí Bhriain.  

"Our health service is advising women that the bodies of their aborted baby can be 'flushed down the toilet'. The stark and gruesome reality of what this entails is absolutely horrific to contemplate. So much for caring about women"

"Abortion doctors are projecting that at least 10,000 abortions will be carried out in Ireland each year. That's treble the number of abortions that were previously recorded on Irish women - 3,017 in 2017 for example. Abortion supporters claim that another 1,000 women may have taken abortion pills in that year, but even then the increase in the total number of abortions is staggering. Who in their right minds wants the number of abortions to triple?" she asked. 

"Now we also know  that a 15-week old baby has been aborted in the National Maternity Hospital on the advice of doctors who suspected a "fatal abnormality". Later tests found there was nothing wrong the child. The devastated parents say that abortion was first raised by medics, and that they were told not to wait for the results of a more conclusive test. Nothing can bring that baby back now," the Life Institute spokeswoman said. 

"We see in the reporting around that tragic case that the media are now acknowledging that some abortions can be carried out with "no term limits". Like so much else in the referendum, this was hotly denied by Yes campaigners, as was the fact that abortion numbers would sharply rise, and that parents might come under pressure to abort. Now the truth - and the horrifying reality - is emerging, just 5 months into this new abortion regime," Ms Uí Bhriain said. 

"It was shameful to see the National Women's Council and Together for Yes cheering and celebrating with balloons in the week that this tragic case arose," she added. 

"For most Irish people - including many reluctant Yes voters - abortion is nothing to celebrate. Already, on social media and online, there are many people experiencing voter regret at repeal and we expect those numbers to rise." 

She said that the pro-life movement had been energised and had grown exponentially in the referendum, and that many of the thousands now involved were focused on restricting the harm of abortion by offering supports for women and families involved in crisis pregnancy. 

"Others are working to establishing new media platforms to address the imbalance in the media which led to the yes vote, and establishing initiatives to rebuild a broken culture," she said. "The pro-life message needs to be heard now more than ever." 

   

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