Colm FitzpatrickDear Editor, Regarding the publication by the Department of Health of the abortion guidelines to accompany the so-called Protection of Life during Pregnancy Act 2013, the Fine Gael/Labour Government have done exactly what some members of the pro-life movement predicted: the Government waited until after the 2014 Local and European Elections before publishing their life-ending (as opposed to life-affirming) guidelines to facilitate abortion in Ireland. These guidelines confirm that all it takes for the life of a pre-born baby to be signed away, is for two like-minded psychiatrists to sanction the abortion without having to produce a shred of medical evidence that abortion is a treatment for suicidal feelings.
The Government knew that publishing these guidelines before the recent elections would have proven even more damaging to Fine Gael’s and Labour's vote than the enacting of its abortion law, last year, already proved to be in those elections. This was an example of profound cowardice from the Fine Gael-led Government, as if it was truly proud of its so-called Protection of Life during Pregnancy Act surely it would have sought to highlight its legislative achievement by publishing the guidelines before the 2014 Local and European Elections.
Yours etc.,
John Reid,
Monkstown,
Co. Dublin.