MSP visit to Ireland to push for ban on pro-life presence at abortion clinic is criticised

A member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) is visiting Ireland in a bid to push for a law that would ban a pro-life presence at abortion clinics.

Scottish Green Party Member, Gilliam Mackay, is introducing a bill to the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood, known as the Abortion Services Safe Access Zones (Scotland) Bill, that would seek to ban pro-lifers from gathering outside abortion clinics.

The now- former First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, had also pledged support from the Scottish Parliament for this bill.

The Life Institute said that the MEP was not welcome to Ireland as long as she was encouraging an "unfair, undemocratic and unjust" proposal which they said sought to "demonise and criminalise decent people who simply wished to help women". 

Life Institute said that most claims of harassment on the issue in Ireland have been shown to be "absolutely untrue." 

A series of investigations by Gript Media showed that abortion campaigner's claims against pro-life prayer activists and those offering support to women had no basis in fact - and that the Gardai said no additional laws were required to manage pro-life presence at abortion centres. 

This proposed bill is similar to one introduced in Ireland, and so Mackay is taking a four-day trip to Ireland to "share experiences" in regards to the proposed bill, as she wants the bill to be the “best and most robust legislation it can be” before presenting it to other MSPs.

“I am proud to be introducing a Bill to stop the protests, and want to ensure it is the best and most robust legislation it can be.

“That is why I am speaking to representatives from the Irish government as well as campaign groups who have been on the frontline of tackling the same problem," she said. "I want to learn from their experiences and share some of mine.”

Talks will be held with representatives from Dail Eireann, the lower house of Ireland’s Parliament, including minister of state Ossian Smyth, and with other campaigners.

Such proposals are being pushed in Ireland with similar claims of harassment, despite the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris stating that there is no evidence of intimidation or harassment taking place outside abortion clinics, and is satisfied with “with existing public order legislation to adequately deal with any reasonable public order incident that may arise at such centres.”

Additionally, the UK Government confirmed that such buffer zones are incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

Such proposals for buffer zone have given rise for concern, especially after two recent cases in Birmingham, UK of Isabel-Vaughan Spruce and Fr Sean Gough. Both were arrested for breaching a buffer zone outside an abortion clinic and for “intimidating service users” despite both praying silently, and being present on days the clinic was closed.

Whilst Irish TDs and Scottish MSPs stress the need for these buffer zones and the need to share experiences, they forget to consider the experiences all the women who have availed of the support provided by these pro-lifers outside abortion clinics, which led them to choose life for their baby.