Chai Brady
GP Dr Siobhan Crowley and colleagues from the Medical Alliance For The 8th speak to
media at a press briefi ng in Dublin to express their concerns about the Government’s
referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment. Photo: John McElroy 
An alliance of medical professionals who oppose repealing the Eighth Amendment have said the proposal of unrestricted abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy is the “exact opposite” of what they were trained to do.
Speaking on behalf of the Medical Alliance for the 8th at a press conference on Kildare Street in Dublin, Dr Siobhan Crowley – a GP from Kerry – said that it greatly concerns the alliance that in the event of Article 40.3.3 being repealed the Government propounds unrestricted abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
In terms of it possibly being a GP-led service if the referendum passes she said that “without any consultation from government, it is assumed that we will fall into line with the proposal and go from being a healing profession to one that facilitates the ending of a child’s life and abortion on demand”.
“In recent days, we’ve been in touch with GPs, nurses, midwives and other healthcare colleagues around Ireland. We can state confidently that there is widespread opposition and concern within our profession over what the government is proposing.”
The group will soon set up a website where they will be asking healthcare professionals to join the alliance.
Dr Crowley said that they believe repealing the Eighth Amendment will lead to an abortion regime “that is more extreme than in Britain where one in five pregnancies end in abortion”.
Before the press conference the medical professionals, which include GPs, nurses and obstetricians met with people who told them personal stories about how abortion affected them.
