Pro-Life Campaign gives report guarded welcome

The Pro-Life Campaign has given a guarded welcome to the report.

The Pro-Life Campaign has given a guarded welcome to the report.

The anti-abortion lobby group said: "The third approach appears to contain the basis for a satisfactory resolution of the issue. It presents an opportunity to restore legal protection to the unborn, as well as proposing practical social and economic supports for women in crisis pregnancies."

It emphasised the need for a distinction between the current medical treatment of mothers in pregnancy and "the direct targeting of the life of the unborn". "In induced abortion, the aim of the procedure is the death of the unborn child, whose continued survival would constitute a failure of the procedure. In the treatment of mothers in pregnancy, the survival of the unborn is greatly desired even if, as happens in some cases, it proves difficult to achieve or may not be possible."

The statement continued: "The fact is that at present, as a result of the Supreme Court decision in 1992, the law is at variance with Irish medical ethics in this area."

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The Pro-Life Campaign urged a "calm and respectful debate" on the matter. It also sought a substantial range of social and economic supports for women in crisis pregnancies, including support for existing caring organisations, promotion of "open" adoption, and adequate respite care for children and families with special needs.

Youth Defence, the antiabortion organisation, has not supported any of the three proposed options. It rejected the first and second, supported by Fine Gael and the Labour Party, and has withheld support from the third on the grounds that it is confusing.

"We would, of course, welcome a constitutional amendment accompanied by legislation to protect current medical practice," it said. "That is indeed what we have been calling for over the past eight years.

"However, the third recommendation insists that what is intended is not a total prohibition of abortion. Yet current medical practice totally prohibits abortion."

The group said it was suspending judgment until the Government's intentions were clear.