Eilis Mulroy
A number of women supporting the pro-life cause hold a vigil outside of the Dáil. Photo: Pro-Life campaign. I happened to be at one of the count centres last Saturday morning as ballot boxes opened and early tallies showed what was in store in the ‘family’ and ‘care’ referendums. Looking at the results rolling in, one ‘No’ voter remarked to me that he recently read about how much funding the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) get from the State and how out of touch they are when it comes to representing the views and concerns of Irish women.
The NWCI campaigned heavily for a Yes/Yes vote in the referendums. Over 85% of the funding they receive comes from taxpayers like you and me. It’s something we’ve known for years but as the results poured in on Saturday, for the first time, it started to be talked about more openly, not just in count centres but on the national airwaves as well.
After Saturday’s result where the No vote was close to 68% in the ‘Family’ referendum and almost 74% in the ‘Care’ vote, the Government, who misjudged the public mood very badly themselves, cannot credibly stand in the way of a serious examination of the funding of certain NGOs who clearly are not representing the wishes and concerns of the people they are supposed to be representing. A special Oireachtas committee should, at the very least, be convened to look at the issue and propose reforms.
Influence
Groups like the NWCI have also had a grossly inflated influence over government policy on abortion, particularly in recent times in relation to shaping the three year review of the abortion legislation. At the same time, the NWCI have ignored the voices of women who hold an opposing view on abortion, including women who have opted for abortion and subsequently regretted the decision.
Speaking of NGOs influencing the abortion debate, a less well known group called Together for Safety has exerted an inordinate influence over the Minister for Health with regard to his so called ‘Safe Access Zones’ bill. Together for Safety it should be said has a dreadful record when it comes to making accurate public statements.
To date, CUMH has not received any complaints from patients regarding the protests”
Two University Hospitals were forced to issue public statements setting the record straight following claims made by Together for Safety. In one statement, University of Limerick Hospitals Group took issue with claims that there had been “intimidatory” anti-abortion protests outside its facilities.
And a spokesperson for the Cork University Hospital told The Irish Examiner last year that “to date, CUMH has not received any complaints from patients regarding the protests”. The spokesperson also explained that alleged protests are very “infrequent” and “typically consist of between two and four [people]”.
None of this stopped the Minister for Health from leaning on the group for advice. In July 2022, Stephen Donnelly issued a statement paying tribute to Together for Safety with the following words: “I wish to acknowledge the helpful public discussion on safe access zones over recent months, and in particular the work of the Together for Safety group in informing the development of legislative proposals”.
Seanad
The bill in question is currently before the Seanad and will, if passed, create sprawling exclusion zones of 100-metres around every hospital and GP clinic in the country. The Bill would not just prohibit organised ‘protests’ but also criminalise any action which might be seen as an attempt to ‘influence’ a woman’s decision to have an abortion. This is a sweeping category which covers many forms of constitutionally protected rights with regard to peaceful assembly and expression.
They’ve also been contacting TDs to lobby them, meeting them in person to lobby them, and arranging photocalls at Leinster House to push for the draconian new law”
Though Together for Safety don’t appear to be State funded, there is still an onus on them to register with the Standards in Public Offices Commission (in accordance with the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015) if they are lobbying public representatives to achieve political change.
It’s clear from what has been said on the record by Stephen Donnelly and several other Oireachtas members that Together For Safety has not just lobbied politicians but in fact has helped draft the first attempt at ‘safe access zones’ legislation which was introduced in the Seanad by Sinn Féin Senator Paul Gavan in 2021. They’ve also been contacting TDs to lobby them, meeting them in person to lobby them, and arranging photocalls at Leinster House to push for the draconian new law.
In September 2022, Senator Gavan said that Together for Safety “drew up its own Bill and I was very proud to introduce it in the Seanad” and went on to say, “all credit for this legislation belongs to Together for Safety”. By his own admission, Together for Safety were the authors of the Bill.
Lobbying
Despite mounting a considerable lobbying campaign that has been widely acknowledged, Together for Safety, which has its provenance in the Limerick Feminist Network, does not appear to be registered with the Register of Lobbying (Lobbying.ie) maintained by the Standards in Public Office Commission.
All women’s voices should be represented and listened to, not simply those of a cabal of activists”
This simply adds to the impression that the tail is wagging the dog when it comes to government policy on abortion. The fact that such intensive lobbying has been carried out raises serious questions about the ethics of the behind-the-scenes lobbying which underpinned this Bill’s introduction.
All women’s voices should be represented and listened to, not simply those of a cabal of activists who have the ear of senior and influential members of the political class. It’s high time that the funding of and the level of influence these type of organisations have over government policy is scrutinised.
Eilís Mulroy is Chief Officer and spokesperson for the Pro-Life campaign.