Sir, – If The Taoiseach and the Government believe that it is right that “no medical practitioner will be obliged to carry out a termination if they have a conscientious objection to the procedure”, as proposed in the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill then why should our elected representatives not enjoy the same right and freedom in this instance when they have a conscientious objection to voting for the proposals contained in the said Bill? – Yours, etc,
Rev DONAL MORRIS,
St Josephs,
Boyle, Co Roscommon.
Sir, – Fr Kevin Doran states “They [Catholic Voluntary Hospitals as a group] will uphold their ethos and will never facilitate or tolerate the deliberate termination of human life, at any stage” (June 14th). This seems to me a clear restatement of no termination while there is a heartbeat, and a narrowing of the “this is a Catholic country” to this is a medical institution with an ethos that amounts to the same thing.
He also states, “Nobody, of course, is talking about refusing medical treatment. Catholic hospitals must, however, refuse abortion, which is not medical treatment.” I would ask him to clearly state for staff of hospitals with a Catholic ethos if the termination recently refused in Galway, which caused this legislation to be brought forward, was: a) medical treatment permissible within the ethos, or b) abortion which would be refused within the ethos. Anything other than a clear A or B demonstrates exactly why this legislation is needed. – Yours, etc,
DAVID DOYLE,
Birchfield Park,
Goatstown, Dublin 14.
Sir, – I read the letter from concerned experts (Ruth Fletcher et al, June 13th) regarding their worry at the inability of women to terminate their “unviable unborns” in Ireland. Having worked with one such “unviable” aged 21, I’d be loath to decide on the supposed viability of either the born or the unborn. Bearing in mind the jurisdiction in which a significant number of these concerned experts operate, I would venture to suggest they might also direct their attention to the innumerable “viables” terminated therein on a daily basis. – Yours, etc,
AILEEN HOOPER,
Norseman Place,
Stoneybatter, Dublin 7.
Sir, – I have never regarded myself as a fan of Enda Kenny, but I am bound to say that he has acted admirably in the church-state conflicts on the child sex abuse scandals and now on the legislation to enforce the X case judgment by the Supreme Court.
When you compare his statements on these issues with the embarrassing grovelling of one of his predecessors, John A Costello, it clearly shows how far this country has come in the past 50 to 60 years. Any day now we’ll be just like a normal western European democracy with tolerance for all beliefs and understanding that the law cannot reflect just one philosophical school of thought.
Bravo Enda Kenny – June 12th, 2013 was a great day for Ireland. – Yours, etc,
LIAM COOKE,
Greencastle Avenue,
Coolock, Dublin 13 .
Sir, – The IrishTimes/Ipsos MRBI poll findings (Home News, June 13th) would at first glance appear to provide clear evidence of widespread support for the Government’s proposed legislation on abortion. However, it more readily demonstrates the impact of asking the “right” question in getting a poll “result”.
The poll was conducted before the legislation itself was published, with just the heads of bill available to the public. The headline question links the publication of the Government’s heads of bill directly to allowing abortion where a mother’s life is in danger. Ignoring the fact that virtually none of the respondents would have read the heads of bill, and could not have read the legislation, the only plausible answer for a majority is Yes to the question as posed.
It is remarkable that the balance of respondents would appear to have been sufficiently mature to have seen through this and to have answered either “No” or, most correctly, “Don’t know”.
The bias in the poll is demonstrated in the follow-on questions on whether abortion should be allowed in cases such as rape, incest, etc, where there are significant majorities in favour but no intention to legislate, while in the area of suicide, where a bare majority is in favour, clearly the evidence of the psychiatric community in relation to abortion and suicide ideation has had some impact. Simplistic and biased polling like this does the public debate and the polling industry no favours. – Yours, etc,
JOHN BRADY,
Dublin Road,
Trim,
Co Meath.
Sir, – So we come at last to the whole point of the current abortion debate. It is not, nor has it ever been, solely about using the present situation as a means of introducing abortion on demand into Ireland by degrees. It is also, indeed primarily, about the progressive elimination of the Irish Catholic healthcare sector en bloc.
Notwithstanding the fact that Irish Catholic hospitals are among the safest places in the world to give birth, by virtue of the provisions of the new legislation any such institution listed in that legislation that refuses to provide abortions loses its public funding – in effect such hospitals cease to be Catholic or cease to exist. And in the most cynical manner imaginable the Government announces the amendment to give effect to this lethal provision at midnight on the day when the Halappanavar report is published, thereby ensuring there will be minimal public discussion of the former given the attention that is focused on the latter. Evil is rarely less than cunning. – Yours, etc,
GABRIEL DOHERTY,
Douglas Road,
Cork.
A chara, – While letters written in blood are rather distasteful (B-negative, I presume), I am not sure that an Taoiseach should take offence at receiving medals and scapulars. I jolly well hope he would not be put out if I sent him a Christmas card with a Nativity scene? – Is mise,
Dr DAMIAN Ó MAONAIGH,
Leifear PO,
Tír Chonaill.