Sir, – The suggestion by the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) that the State should assist asylum seekers in meeting the cost of travelling abroad for abortions is nothing short of surreal ("Migrant women unable to travel for abortions", Front Page, December 15th).
At a time when the exchequer is struggling to maintain existing hospital services for the general public, why should taxpayers foot the bill for anyone to get elective medical procedures which are illegal here in Ireland? What kind of a precedent would this set in respect of other medical procedures or treatments banned here?
The recent subtle emphasis on this issue of cost shows how the goalposts on abortion are slowly being shifted by the IFPA and other pro-choice groups. First, they pushed strongly for legislation for the X case and abortion in the case of suicidal ideation, a cause which was taken up with vigour and enthusiasm by the Government. The ink was hardly dry on the so-called Protection of Life in Pregnancy Act when there was a concerted attempt to use the death of Savita Halappanavar to discredit Ireland’s maternity services, which remain among the best in the world. And the recent Miss Y case is now being used as the catalyst for the suggestion that abortion on demand ought to be introduced in Ireland because of the high cost of travelling to England.
The fact remains that any woman in Ireland, including asylum seekers, whose life is in danger due to their pregnancy is entitled to all treatment which is necessary to save their lives. What they are not legally entitled to do is to seek abortions for social or economic reasons or as a matter of lifestyle choice. So why should taxpayers pay for them to do so abroad? – Yours, etc,
BARRY WALSH,
Clontarf,
Dublin 3.