Abortion TV ads could be beamed into Irish homes

ABORTION advertisements could be broadcast to Irish homes following a proposal to free up restrictions on British television channels.

The move would allow pregnancy advisory services — including those offering abortion — to advertise in evening time slots on major broadcasters such as Sky, Channel 4 and ITV.

These channels are freely available in Irish homes, creating the possibility of a clash with Irish law which prohibits the airing of advertisements for abortion services outside the country.

The Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland said it could not rule on advertisements broadcast on British channels. “We are a self-regulating body, not a legal body, and any legal implications would be a matter for the Department of Health to determine.”

The Department of Health said it would await further developments.

It is lawful to provide information about overseas services in the context of a consultation with a doctor, counsellor or advisory agency here but illegal to advertise or publicise such information in newspapers or magazines, on radio or TV or at public gatherings.

Irish Family Planning Association chief executive Niall Behan said: “The Information Act is really from a different era. The information it seeks to restrict is now freely available on the internet. If the advertising codes in the UK change, it will just be another example of how outdated the law here is.”

Advertising for pregnancy advisory services are legal in Britain except on TV where they are indirectly banned by a rule that disallows advertisements for paid-for services offering advice on personal problems.

A revamp of the code was proposed by the British Broadcasting Committee on Advertising Practice which is embarking on a three-month public consultation process. If the new code is approved, abortion providers could begin advertising on British TV channels next year.

The Pro-Life Campaign spokesman John O’Reilly said: “If abortion clinics are allowed to advertise on television, will pro-life groups also be allowed to publicise the latest peer reviewed studies showing the adverse consequences of abortion for women?

“The obvious solution is to continue to prohibit advertisements that are construed as publicly contentious or political. Otherwise it is only fair that both sides should be allowed advertise.”