A pro-life poster is seen in front of Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin. Photo: CNS The abortion issue has largely shrunk from the national headlines, but it hasn’t gone away writes Eilís Mulroy
Two years ago this week Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution, or the Eighth Amendment as it was known, was repealed by the Irish people.
The referendum result was a cruel blow to unborn children, abolishing their constitutional right to life. It was also a serious blow to the pro-life movement, and the many thousands of activists across Ireland who campaigned for the rights of the unborn over several decades. Many were understandably very hurt and deflated by the result.
However, since the disappointment, the pro-life movement has redoubled its efforts working to reorient our messaging in a way which can tap into the wellspring of support for the dignity of human life which we know still exists in the hearts of the Irish people. The pro-life movement is very much open for business, and there remains so much work to be done.
Readers will recall that despite a strong lobbying campaign and courageous work by pro-life members of the Dáil and Seanad, humane amendments to the abortion law were rejected by the Oireachtas in late 2018. These included measures which would have protected babies from being aborted on the basis of disability, would have insisted on the use of pain relief for the baby during abortion and care for any child who survived the procedure.
Since the government’s abortion legislation came into force on January 1, 2019, the abortion issue has largely shrunk from the national headlines. But it hasn’t gone away. Sadly, this legislation is having a silent impact every day, all across the country.
It would be easy for the pro-life movement to be disheartened in the face of this new reality of abortion on demand, but we cannot and will not lose hope or disengage from our activism.
We know that one third of those who voted on May 25, 2018 opposed the legalisation of abortion, and that a large number of those who supported repeal did not endorse the extreme proposals which have since been implemented. This gives the pro-life movement a huge base of support on which we can build for the future. Once Irish people see the cruel reality of abortion in action, they will be open to be persuaded to support sensible restrictions on the practice in the future and hopefully ultimately repeal of this unjust law.
We have ramped up our work in recent months, broadening our focus to issues which rarely generate headlines but which are still at the core of our work to defend the dignity of life at all stages from conception to natural death. Regularly rolling out new initiatives is engaging pro-life activists again after the loss in 2018.
The Covid-19 crisis has changed all of our lives, particularly for the elderly and more vulnerable members of society. Since the outset of the pandemic, we have been consistently lobbying members of the Oireachtas and other policy makers in relation to the tragic loss of life in nursing homes around the country. Once the pandemic ends, Ireland needs to have a very serious conversation about how it treats its elderly population and end-of-life care more generally. The failures which have been highlighted in recent weeks may well have a seismic impact on how Irish people view these issues.
In the short term, pro-life people are doing all they can to assist those in need at the present time. Through our Covid Outreach, our volunteers have been checking in with elderly and house confined friends of the pro-life movement during this difficult time, keeping in touch with over 1,000 people so far. This work will continue until the end of the crisis.
This week we have launched a June Fundraising Challenge to raise money for projects assisting women in unplanned pregnancy and new mothers. We are asking people to run or walk 5km during June. Volunteers can sign up or donate on www.loveboth.ie
If we are to convince voters of the value of life, then we have to invest in a new talent pool of young and talented volunteers who can lead those efforts. And so over the summer months, our Future Leaders Programme will be giving intensive training to younger pro-life volunteers to equip them with the communication skills and motivation to spread our message in the media and in their communities.
The PLC Grassroots Network is growing and in recent weeks has hosted a number of training sessions and webinars with guests such as Mickey Harte and David Alton. This week an online communications workshops for volunteers hosted by Wendy Grace will take place and on June 6 a webinar with Deputy Carol Nolan and others.
The lockdown has also prompted Students For Life to launch a new video series The Outlook where students will interview fellow students and well-known faces in the pro-life community over the coming months.
None of this would be achievable without the consistent support and dedication of pro-life volunteers around the country who continue to fly the flag despite the setbacks. We encourage everyone to get involved in some of the recent projects and never give up fighting for justice for unborn children and their mothers in Ireland.
So, far from dwelling on the disappointment of the referendum result two years ago, the Irish pro-life movement is a hive of activity – even in the face of the Covid-19 crisis. The fight goes on, and the work of the pro-life movement will persevere, underpinned by the joyous message of the value of human life, which resonates deeply with Irish people.
Eilís Mulroy is a solicitor and a spokesperson for the Pro Life Campaign www.prolifecampaign.ie