(Pro-Life Campaign) On the day after the results of the 2018 abortion referendum became known, Eilis O'Hanlon wrote in the Sunday Independent: “The point is now much nearer when Ireland will no longer have to think about abortion quite so much, or so intensively.”
It was a very revealing remark, suggesting that the minute abortion became legal (and the killing of unborn babies started) was the appropriate time for Ireland to fall silent on the issue. How convenient!
In fairness to O'Hanlon, she wasn't calling for this but was just stating the reality as she saw it. In the same article, she said: “The future will involve turning a blind eye to some unpleasant realities.”
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Last week, the Department of Health released the latest abortion figures showing that 10,033 abortions took place in Ireland in 2023, representing a massive rise on the previous year when 8,156 abortions were carried out.
Overall, there has been a colossal 250% increase in abortions since the law changed in January 2019. Based on the latest figures, 1 in 6 babies' lives now ends in abortion in Ireland. Any country that tolerates such wilful disregard for human life has become a cold and cruel place and can no longer call itself civilised.
At the time of writing, RTÉ and The Irish Times, the two most prominent and zealous media backers of abortion in Ireland, haven't bothered to report on the latest increase in abortions. It's a clear-cut example of the “turning a blind eye to some unpleasant realities” referred to in Eilis O'Hanlon's piece.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly's office released the figures after 7pm on a Friday evening in what was a clear attempt to bury the story. It's a sign, if nothing else, that they are concerned members of the public might turn against the new abortion regime if they knew the full extent of what is going on. It's why we need to be constantly looking for new ways to get the truth out to people in every part of the country.
Tweet This: There has been a 250% increase in abortions in Ireland since the law changed in Jan 2019. 1 in 6 babies' lives there now ends in abortion.
As the Pro Life Campaign said in its press release following the publication of the figures, given the indifference shown by the Government to Ireland’s soaring abortion rate, there won’t be any worthwhile steps taken to reduce the abortion rate until more TDs are elected to the Dáil who believe in the pro-life position. The results of the recent local elections are thankfully encouraging in this regard.
With a General Election most likely happening in the autumn (following the Budget on 1st October), we'll have to up our game considerably between now and then to help ensure as many pro-life candidates as possible are elected to the Dáil next time round.
Editor's note: This article was published by Pro-Life Canpaign Ireland and is reprinted with permission.
