Ruadhán Jones
A new report by the All Party Oireachtas Life and Dignity Group (OLDG) highlights a “horrific” lack of pain relief for babies in late-term abortions.
Evidence
The report, ‘Late-Term Abortion and Foetal Pain – Proposing a Humane Response’, examines scientific evidence from around the world that shows unborn babies feel pain before 20 weeks.
The report, released December 2, calls for babies undergoing late-term abortions to be given pain relief.
Independent TD Carol Nolan, co-chair of the ODLG, said the fact that babies don’t receive pain relief is “horrifying”.
Concern
“We’re concerned about the fact that there is late-term abortions,” she said. “We’re extremely concerned on this issue, we think it’s a humanitarian crisis, that we need something done about it, politicians need to take this on board. It’s truly horrific what’s happening.”
In a statement, Eilís Mulroy of the Pro-Life Campaign said it was an “excellent and significant report”.
Unborn babies
“It is impossible to read this report and not be convinced of the need for precautionary pain relief to be given to unborn babies during late-term abortions,” Ms Mulroy said.
Ms Mulroy said that, given the evidence, “it is a terribly cold and callous thing to deliberately deny relief from suffering to a baby about to have his or her life ended”.