Cathal BarryThe Pro Life Campaign (PLC) has warned that a forum to examine Ireland’s abortion law would be a set of “pretend hearings” with a “pre-arranged outcome”.
The PLC was responding to a call by Fine Gael TD Jerry Buttimer for an abortion forum to be established to examine Ireland’s law on the matter.
“What Deputy Buttimer is proposing has all the signs of another set of pretend hearings with a pre-arranged outcome irrespective of any evidence that is presented,” PLC Chairperson Cora Sherlock said.
Speaking of the last hearings in relation to the Protection of Life in Pregnancy Bill she added: “We saw in 2013 that the overwhelming medical evidence presented to Deputy Buttimer’s Health Committee during two sets of Oireachtas hearings clearly showed that abortion was not a treatment for suicidal feelings in pregnancy, yet all of that evidence was ignored and the Government proceeded with its agreed, yet deeply flawed legislation.
“The public would be right to be distrustful about this kind of process starting all over again,” she said.
“Women and babies deserve better than the charade that happened in the Dáil in 2013. The last thing we need is a repeat of that.”