Cora Sherlock Irish citizens who voted to protect the constitutional right to life during May’s abortion referendum should not give up hope, a prominent pro-life group has said.
The remarks come after the news last week that the bill which allows for the introduction of abortion services in Ireland passed all stages of the Oireachtas and will now go to President Michael D Higgins to be signed into law.
Despite pro-life supporters being “downhearted” by the legislation, which entailed the rejection of proposed amendments, spokesperson of the Pro Life Campaign Cora Sherlock said this is a vital time to keep fighting for the cause.
“It’s very much just the beginning of a new phase. As anybody that’s familiar with the pro-life debate and the pro-life struggle worldwide will know, it’s something that doesn’t end because it is a human rights and civil rights matter, and just like all of those other struggles that have gone on the in the past this is one that changes – it goes through peaks and troughs. And that’s where we are at the moment,” she said.
She added that people should be encouraged by the number of young people who got involved during the referendum and who stayed involved after the referendum result, praising those who have been working very hard since to reorganise and regroup.