Abortion poll boosts pro-life campaign
The Pro-Life Campaign, which commissioned the research, said it wasencouraged by the finding that indicated there was strong support for the pro-life position.
The group’s medical adviser Dr Berry Kiely said the current public debate taking place on the welfare and rights of children should also include the welfare of the unborn.
Millward Brown IMS asked 908 people over the age of 18 if they would support a constitutional amendment prohibiting abortion but allowing the current practice of intervention to save a mother’s life in accordance with Irish medical ethics to continue.
Of those who responded, 67% said they would support such an amendment; 14% said no and 19% had no opinion or did not know how they would respond.
On the question on protection for the human embryo, half agreed that the Dáil should legislate to protect the human embryo; 18% were opposed and 32% did not know or had no opinion.
Dr Kiely stressed that restoring legal protection to the unborn child was necessary following the 1992 Supreme Court decision in the X case.
The court decided to allow a minor to travel to Britain for an abortion on the basis that her life and health were at risk.
Dr Kiely said the decision in the X case, legalised abortion in potentially wide circumstances, even up to birth.
And, she said, while a referendum was necessary, it should only take place following a wide-ranging public discussion.
“At a time when Irish society is thinking hard about the welfare and rights of children, it is only appropriate that we made sure that our law was consistent with the protection that it gave to all children, born and unborn,” she said.
Dr Kiely said the Pro-Life Campaign also believed there should be specific legislation to protect the human embryo, particularly from experimentation.
While the group was not seeking to divert attention away from children who have been born to deal with children who were unborn, it was anxious that people should remember to address the welfare and rights of all children, born and unborn.
The group’s legal adviser Prof William Binchy said that while there were other findings from the poll, they wanted to show the most striking findings to encourage public debate on the protection of the unborn.
They also felt it was time to address the issue even is people “of goodwill and common sense” had grown tired of the debate.
“At the moment the medical practice that takes place in Irish hospitals is not consistent with the constitutional position and that is a dangerous and unsatisfactory position,” said Prof Binchy.
The Pro-Life Campaign also confirmed that it had made a submission to the Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children, which is continuing its deliberations.
