On 18th April, the Irish Examiner produced two articles on the subject of exclusion zones, or ‘safe access zones’ as it called the proposals to criminalise even the most minor expressions of support for the lives of unborn children within the broad vicinity of buildings which perform abortions. The reports focused on “anger” about the Minister for Health’s delays in introducing such policies.
We know the delays are certainly not the product of any ethical uncomfortableness on the part of Minister Donnelly with regards the impact of eroding the civil liberties and fundamental rights of Irish citizens. Rather the delay appears to stem from a complex legal web Minister Donnelly has wrapped himself in. In reply to a parliamentary question tabled by Deputy Michael Collins, it was revealed that between 5th October 2022 and 16th January 2023, the Minister for Health met with the attorney general on five occasions to iron out legal complexities related to the proposed exclusion zones bill.
The regularity of these meetings indicated that considerable legal difficulties have set back if not derailed government plans to legally discriminate against citizens of a particular ethical and moral viewpoint. Some pro-abortion activists, including even some TDs, cannot simply understand why the constitution and EHCR cannot be ridden over roughshod in their pursuit to discriminate against pro-life citizens.
Minister Donnelly has recently experienced a few instances of blowback arising from his endless humouring of pro-abortion radicals, including his public ‘fact-check’ of one of the activist-researchers he appointed to contribute to the three-year review who claimed ludicrously that the abortion system was on the verge of collapse due to doctors exercising freedom of conscience.