Colm Fitzpatrick
The Irish public believe that medical practitioners should be allowed to conscientiously object to being involved in an abortion, according to new research.
At their National Conference in Dublin on October 6, the Pro-Life Campaign released poll findings showing strong public backing for freedom of conscience protections for healthcare workers from having to assist in abortions taking place.
The poll findings, conducted by Amárach Research and released at the conference, show that 68% of the public are opposed to doctors being forced to carry out abortions, with 17% in favour and 15% responding with ‘don’t know’/ ‘no opinion’.
Asked whether doctors opposed to abortion should be forced to refer someone seeking an abortion to another doctor, 42% of respondents said doctors should not be forced to refer, 41% said they should be forced to refer, while 18% opted for ‘don’t know’/’no opinion’.
Commenting on the poll findings Dr Ruth Cullen of the Pro-Life Campaign said: “These findings paint an entirely different picture to the one being presented by the Government. It is clear from surveys of GPs themselves that they don’t want the provision of abortion to be GP-led and it’s very clear from today’s poll findings that the public don’t wish to see doctors being compelled to be involved in abortions.”
On the previous day, the hierarchy said that forcing healthcare professionals to be involved in abortion poses a very real practical and moral dilemma, and is an “affront to conscience”. They urged the Government to take a stand against this and allow healthcare workers to exercise conscientious objection.
“Conscience is that private space in the heart of every person in which the truth is discovered and accepted. For men and women of faith, conscience is the reflection in their own heart of the voice of God, supported by faith and reason,” they said. “To strip a person of the right to freedom of conscience is to undermine his or her fundamental dignity as a person.”