Some sobering thoughts

We are all rightly shocked by the number of dead in Ireland as a result of the Coronavirus - 1,764 to be precise, as of today 30.07.20. Yet there has hardly been a media comment on the recently published figure of 6,666 abortions that took place in Ireland in a twelve month period.

Yes, in the twelve months to December 2019, 6,666 abortions took place in Ireland according to the Department of Health who issued the report. Previously, some 2,879 women travelled from Ireland to the UK for abortions in 2018, while an unknown number, estimated by some at 1,000 or more also took abortion pills.

The new report showed that 100 babies were aborted because of a severe or life-limiting condition, and that most abortions - up to 98% - were elective abortions, mostly carried out for social reasons. What these figures prove is that when abortion is made legal the number of abortions carried out always and inexorably rise. This is not unique to Ireland and has been the experience in every country where legal abortion has been introduced.

Our 'pro-repeal political advocates assured us that abortion would be 'legal and rare': how can anyone call 6,666 abortions in just one year rare?'

The figures in the report of the Department of health give the lie to the major thrust of the Yes campaign that legalised abortion was necessary to protect women's lives or for very rare cases of fatal foetal abnormality. The reality is that the vast majority of abortions were for social and not medical reasons.

"Behind that number are 6,666 lives - babies who were unique and irreplaceable but whose lives were ended, and 6,666 women who were failed by those who offered them no other choice than abortion," Ms Niamh Ui Bhriain a spokesperson for the Irish based Life Institute has said. "This figure should be Ireland's shame - 6,666 lives ended by Repeal. We have lost our sense of compassion, and people need to open their eyes to the reality of what the abortion referendum has meant: more and more abortions, and a failure to love and support women."

So, terrible as the Coronavirus is, we have lost 4,902 more lives to abortion in year one of our post-repeal Ireland, and without doubt we will see this figure increase exponentially year upon year in line with international experience.

Not I suspect, quite what Robert Emmett had in mind when in his speech from the dock he aspired to Ireland taking its place among the nations of the world. The sad annual statistics of nations outlining the millions of abortions carried out each year is one league table that nobody should aspire to feature in.

(With thanks to the Life Institute)

Philip Curran,
St. Mary's