“It is shocking that money is continually shovelled into the pro-abortion agency MyOptions, whilst not a red cent is spent on providing women with positive supports and alternatives to abortion”, – Eilís Mulroy
In recent replies to parliamentary questions, it was revealed that almost €1 million has been spent by the HSE on advertising abortion in the first four years of legal abortion in Ireland. It was also revealed in a separate reply from Minister Stephen Donnelly that the HSE has paid for the pro-abortion MyOptions hotline to automatically outbid any services which offer life affirming options. Responding to this new information, Pro Life Campaign spokesperson Eilís Mulroy said:
“In just four years the HSE has racked up a bill of nearly €1 million in buying advertising to promote the HSE’s misleadingly titled ‘MyOptions’ hotline, which provides women with information on how to obtain an abortion. Research by Students For Life published in early 2022 showed how MyOptions counsellors are quick to offer abortion to women, including advising an undecided woman to ‘make an appointment anyway.’ Regrettably, the Minister has not acted on these alarming research findings. It is shocking that money is continually shovelled into the pro-abortion agency MyOptions, whilst not a red cent is spent on providing women with positive supports and alternatives to abortion.
“The revelation that the HSE has set up a management strategy for MyOptions on search engines to automatically outbid any websites which offer alternative options to abortion points to how the government’s agenda is clearly to promote abortion as a one-track option. The Minister even admits the government has collaborated with Google to promote MyOptions and suppress organisations which offer supports to women in unplanned pregnancies. He unfairly refers to the work of such organisations, which are often staffed by qualified volunteers motivated by genuine compassion, as ‘disingenuous’ and ‘rogue agencies’ simply because they do not offer abortion.”
Responding to the released totals spent on abortion advertising between 2019-2022, Deputy Carol Nolan said:
“The fact that the HSE has incurred costs of almost €1m to advance the abortion agenda while leaving the promotion of positive life affirming alternatives to wither in silent media obscurity says it all. The message of death gets a government sponsored loudspeaker. The message of life is muzzled and muted. Where is the justice in that for unborn children and the women who are crying out for help to keep their babies?”
ENDS
Note:
“To help combat the promotion of disingenuous messaging, the HSE are monitoring any competitors and have set a bid management strategy to automatically increase their bids if another website appears ahead of theirs. The HSE monitor the search ad performance and that of disingenuous agencies on an on-going basis and share feedback with Google.” (https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/
HSE reply to PQ Ref 7260/23 (Carol Nolan), 28 Feb. 2023:
Year Total spend
2019 Total: €434,754
2020 Total: €149,177
2021 Total: €155,322
2022 Total: €95,071
PQ 7260.23 money spent in advertising for abortion services '19'20'21'22 Deputy nolan