Taoiseach “totally misrepresents” Fine Gael’s pre-election commitment on abortion

Taoiseach “totally misrepresents” Fine Gael’s pre-election commitment on abortion

PLC welcomes former Taoiseach, John Bruton’s comments on abortion

13th January 2013

Referring to remarks made by An Taoiseach Mr Enda Kenny on today’s This Week programme on RTÉ, Cora Sherlock of the Pro Life Campaign said the Taoiseach “totally misrepresented” the Fine Gael Party’s pre-election promise on abortion.

In the interview, the Taoiseach described the commitment as no more than “a letter in some cases” sent to people.

“In reality,” Ms Sherlock said “it was a written commitment formally sent to the Pro Life Campaign on the 17th February 2011.   The commitment said that the Fine Gael Party would not introduce legislation for abortion and that both mothers and babies would be protected in pregnancy.”

Meanwhile, the Pro Life Campaign has welcomed the comments of former Taoiseach, John Bruton, on today’s Marian Finucane Show, that abortion in cases of threatened suicide should not be included in any proposals brought forward by the Government. Mr Bruton pointed out that in the Oireachtas Hearings on Abortion in 2000, the then Government was presented with evidence showing the prediction of suicide was wrong 97% of the time.

Ms Sherlock added, “At last week’s Oireachtas Hearings, the argument for abortion in cases of threatened suicide effectively collapsed. Abortion in such cases, far from helping women, has the potential to put their lives at risk. This is what the peer-reviewed evidence actually shows. The only reason abortion in the case of threatened suicide is being mentioned in the debate is because it is part of the flawed X case ruling. It would be reckless disregard for the lives of women in pregnancy and their babies to introduce a law that lacks an evidence-based foundation.”

ENDS