Abortion debate distorted

I listened with growing disquiet to RTE Radio’s Marian Finucane Show on Sunday last as Dr Peter Boylan repeatedly attempted to prevent Breda O’Brien from making her presentation on the abortion issue.

I understood him to say that he is in favour of legislation on the X case including, I presume, the matter of suicide.

I am an interested listener, and I am always very anxious to hear what each panel member has to say, something I was completely unable to do during the show.

Pat Rabbitte has no qualms about stating clearly what, of course, we already know as Labour policy ie to legislate for the X case, including suicide.

Here are two, what one might term media “heavyweights” presenting a case which is totally against the well-publicised recent evidence at the Oireachtas hearings on abortion; the psychiatrists who addressed the hearings were unanimous that abortion is not a treatment for suicidal ideation.

There is no evidence that abortion reduces the mental health risks of unplanned pregnancy, but there is evidence that abortion increases the risk of future mental health problems for a significant number of women. If we are serious about protecting the lives of women and babies in pregnancy, there cannot be support for the introduction of a law that directly targets the life of the unborn child and puts women’s lives at risk.

We did not get the benefit of hearing what Breda O’Brien learned from her consultations; Peter Boylan saw to that by repeatedly disrupting the flow of her points.

We hear a lot about freedom of speech.

But where was that for Miss O’Brien?

It is perfectly obvious that the Labour Party is ignoring the evidence given recently.

The members of Fine Gael, formerly considered a Pro-Life party, are no longer such a party it seems.

The Sinn Féin party and the independents are also pro-abortion, judging from recent statements, so it looks as if our tiny unborn citizens are in great danger.

No one is fooled by the repeated mention of “limited” abortion.

We are no different from the countries which have introduced abortion: once you legislate for abortion, it inevitably increases and no amount of denial gets over that.

What about the women who leave the country for abortion?

This is the crux of the matter; instead of facilitating the ending of children’s lives, national energies should be concentrated on tackling this problem; this means, in spite of all financial difficulties, the setting up of a programme of support for these women and their children so that they and their children can be cherished in the way they should be.

Joe Conroy

Naas

Co Kildare