How she can be allowed to have any say in this is beyond me. She is a practising catholic (ref: wikipedia). How can someone so educated be so closed minded so as to push beliefs of her own faith onto others. It’s truly tragic.
Widespread abortion my arse.

Amazing how quick the pro-abortion lobby is to discount the credentials of anyone who is pro-life.

@Vincent – I do admire her position on mental health awareness, and I don’t deny she’s very well educated. Perhaps she hasn’t travelled enough to understand the bigger picture.

@Jack- or maybe she knows more than you? Stunning arrogance. Stunning.

@Vincent – I’m arrogant for wanting people of the opposite sex to actually have a choice in whether they can have an abortion?
I am in fact very well educated, and have lived outside this country for a very long time,
yet return to co-exist with religious dullards, such as yourself.
You still haven’t answered my question on why shouldn’t the woman decide.
Go consult with a priest to get the church’s official response and regurgitate it.
I’d say you’re good at that.

@Anthony – Hitler was a catholic. And he was supported by the Vatican.
Your move, holy man.

@ jack she should be allowed in serious situations

@Mary- that too is a personal belief, should we put this aside also?

A persons personal beliefs effect every decision that they make and there’s no avoiding this; this also applies to the medical professional.

This is an ethical matter not a ‘medical’ one!

@ Vincent – Well said sir!

@jack- you’re arrogant by virtue of the manner in which you dismiss the opinions of anyone else, not as a valid but opposing position but rather as a patently stupid position proven by virtue of the fact that an intellectual colossus such as yourself doesn’t agree with it. I did answer your question. And by the way, I’m not a practicising Catholic. Here’s a question for you, though: why is it that so many Catholics exercise independent thought and choose to disregard Church teachings on Divorce, homosexuality and contraception – yet you believe they are incapable of doing so re: abortion? Answer me that.

Less of the ad hominem attacks and more engagement with the points, please Jack. Or you could just stop getting so hot under the collar and admit that it really isn’t a simple debate. Arrogance indeed.

On a side note, congrats on fulfilling Godwin’s Law in record time.

Mary, to say that Prof. Casey has a vested interest is simply wrong. That implies financial gain of some sort.If all you mean is that she has arrived at a decided view, then that applies to all the participants.

Jack your attacks on practicing Catholics are offensive beyond belief. I respect every person’s opinion regardless of race/religion/political persuasion – I may not agree but I respect the fact it’s their opinion. Stop blaming every bad thing on religion. I am a lapsed Catholic and support abortion in certain circumstances – e.g mothers health and safety, rape etc. However I am unsure still about abortion ‘on demand’ – it’s been proven that babies can survive if born at legal abortion age and I have qualms about voting to allow someone else make the decision to end a life, albeit v early stage. Agree the mother should make the decision but if she doesn’t want the baby she could give it up for adoption it isn’t black and white to everyone and the reason for that is not always religion, for me it’s a moral decision and one I’m still unsure of where I stand. Bigots like you make me lean towards prolife.

@Robert Less ad hominem attacks? Did you even read what Vincent said?
It is a very simple solution. People decide on whether they keep the child or not.
Women will see no problem going to England to get abortions, heck, they’ve been doing
it for years now.
Are you afraid a big man in the sky is going to judge you based on the decision of others?
Keep your personal views out of my underpants, please.

@Ruth – let me introduce you to a wiser man than I;
Meet Stephen Fry
http://imgur.com/EX5v4

Dr Casey is an idiot.

The logic being applied by pro abortion pro choice is like saying relatives of victims of murder should be able to chose the death penalty for the convicted.

Two things Jack. Well, three. 1) Hitler was not a Catholic. He may have said he was one, but if I say I’m black, it doesn’t make me black. 2) He was not supported by the Vatican. Far from it. You have sucked up a myth and taken it as fact. 3) Your ignorance and your intolerance of views which you don’t share is stunning. I presume, in a warped kind of way, you believe yourself to be liberal, but not to the extent of permitting those opposed to you to express their opinions.

@paddy – I welcome other’s opinions, Paddy. I’m not being intolerant of them.
It doesn’t make them less wrong, however.
Let’s get back to the original argument. How does a woman’s choice impact on the moral values of
another?
As I’ve said so many times now, legalise it. Let the woman have her choice.
It’s stubborn and arrogant to refuse a woman a basic right such as a choice.
Heck, I’m a man, I wont have to ever make the decision. I would like to have the peace of mind that if [INSERT REASON HERE], and don’t want to have the child, that I could at least choose.

Jack
Very sorry to tell you but Hitler was definitely not a Catholic.

Paul
The lady is a Professor of Medicine. I don’t really believe it’s appropriate to simply describe her as an idiot. That’s a rather unintelligent remark.

@ michael

“Very sorry to tell you but Hitler was definitely not a Catholic.”

Photo of Hitler leaving mass….

http://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=http://www.remnantofgod.org/NaziRCC/hitleratchurch.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.remnantofgod.org/nazircc.htm&h=722&w=500&sz=28&tbnid=BIG3J7rH-lnyOM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=64&zoom=1&usg=__8wKKOrHy5SW95zmeh3hXo-9UhiI=&docid=DUPU8iuaCZn6sM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=b4_sULipKZO5hAfN0oCQCg&ved=0CDMQ9QEwAQ&dur=241

Stalin attended religious services occasionally and was buried with Russian Orthodox rites. So your point is…?

My point was in relation to a poster claiming that hitler was not a catholic when there is much evidence to the contrary. Please feel free to save your post for a thread when somebody is refuting stalin not being a catholic.

Abortion will never be legalised in all cases pal, it will be introduced where mothers life is at risk first and maybe come in then in other risk factors

@jack- plenty of atheist pro-life advocates in Ireland. Characterising it as a religious issue is a cynical attempt on the part of pro-abortionists to feed off anger against the Catholic Church. Genuine pro-abortionists would be better served focusing on the issue itself rather than the profile of a subset of proponents.

@Vincent – Riddle me this, then. How is abortion legal in our nearest neighbouring country, and is legal in most countries of the EU?

@Vincent – Why should it be up to other people to decide whether a woman gets an abortion or not.
It won’t be the government official / mental health specialist _actually getting the abortion_.
It will be the pregnant woman. Who are we to make decisions for her?
Why not let HER decide?

Did we not hav a referendum about this

@Jack- And the death penalty is legal in the US, our neighbours on the other side of the water- should we introduce that too? Some states allow minors to be put to death. I wonder how quickly we could get that through the Dail? If “everybody else is doing it” is your best argument you don’t have one.

@Jack- because no one gets to determine whether someone else lives or dies.

Can I just say a few things;
One can be aetheist and prolife, one can also be catholic and prochoice. I’m catholic (practicing), and I’m prochoice.
As Rhona Mahony said to the OirHeaEnq, trust your professionals. We deal with very difficult situations every day of the week, abortion is not the worst of them, not the best, but certainly not the worst. It happens, for whatever reason. It’s time to own up to the issue and take responsibility for our social and health issues, instead of sending them across the Irish Sea.

Well said…do you work at the memorial!!!!

Abortion is only about the life of the mother? Lol

Shane read the last sentence of my post…this is in the case of the mother, i.e. her life’s at risk, nothing to do with an actual abortion which can be had relatively easily over ‘the pond’ as has been the case for years.

Easy over the pond? Nothing is easy about going to the uk for an abortion but I do agree mothers life at risk should = abortion but only in risk cases! I’m sure if ’twas easy going over the pond all those young girls who accidentally get pregnant unplanned would all hop on a plane and go over

That’s not exactly the womans body that is to be decided upon.

@Brian – and how does “Pro-baby killing” sound for the pro-abortion lobby? Thing is, slinging mud doesn’t achieve a whole lot, does it?

@Vincent

Good point Vincent, I’ll give you that, and yet you resort to the same with the “pro-abortion” term.
Kate Mooney says it so well elsewhere here, mainly that nobody is “pro-abortion”.

And for for Kaja, who is it then. Is it not her body that is supporting the fetus?

No, but the fetus is not a part of her body.

Yes Brian,

A 3rd world country when it comes to abortion; 1st world country when it comes to being born!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/01/07/a-surprising-map-of-the-best-and-worst-countries-to-be-born-into-today/?tid=socialss

See above

If we had such great trust in women, men and all medical practitioners, we wouldn’t need any laws at all. There is wide scale abuse of the abortion laws in the UK. It’s a bit naive that to think that we’re in the land of saints and scholars here and will always be beyond reproach.

Human rights are everyone’s business.

Abortion on demand WILL NEVER happen here! It should never happen! I have no sympathy for a girl who gets herself pregnant true carelessness! Deffo not a reason to kill an unborn

Shane is that a missing comma or poor spelling because you keep saying it and it doesn’t make any sense..
Should it be “I don’t have any sympathy for a girl who gets pregnant, true carelessness”
Which implies no sympathy for any pregnant woman and that ALL unplanned pregnancies are as a result of “true carelessness” or should it read:
“I have no sympathy for a girl who gets herself pregnant THROUGH carelessness”?

Because it does take two to tango, and you lads get to bugger off. You don’t have to have your body change, your organs squashed, your skin stretched, your hormones all over the place.. Run the risk of gestational diabetes, hypertension, oedema, and that’s with a normal enough pregnancy.. You can also develop life threatening seizures, have your spine twist permanently, go deaf.. All of which have happened to friends of mine. Have known several girls who have suffered greatly as a result of carrying a pregnancy – but as they WANTED those babies they took the risk. If a woman doesn’t want the baby – you reckon its should be up to you whether she has to experience all that?
What punishment do you suggest for the father?

I’d give him the snip for not using a condom and her a rollicking saying ” what the hell were you thinking not using a form of contraceptive”

And what if they had used contraception Shane?

They wouldn’t be in the position if both used it properly! I’m 26 having sex since 16, I’m just always very careful and make sure she is before I go there! Ur gonna say contraception can fail! Yep it can BUT in most cases it’s only when one form is used and both parties are not on it! If your careful with contraceptives for male and female you won’t get pregnant! no more excuses please and negativity towords contraceptives for male and female

Off to sleep, night

Sorry to shit on your parade Shane, but as a WOMAN, who has been having sex for over 20 years I have had contraception fail, TWICE.

I was on the pill both times, and condoms were used but literally split in half. Thankfully I miscarried, because there’s a high chance that they were both ectopic and may well have killed me..

Stick that in your assumption pipe and smoke it – it’s NEVER as easy as you would like it to be. Real life happens..

It has been easy for me over the past 10 years using a condom and the girl on the contraceptive whatever it may be! it’s dealt me good cards so far ill keep taking care and it will deal me some more! I have never have a condom split on me! As I once read that’s a very rare occurance and usually happens from a rushed technique in applying the condom! also if I was having sex and accidentally ejaculated inside her, even tho not 100% effective I would get her to go to the hospital and get the morning after pill! I would try any means possible but as I said I will continue with the technique that has served me well so far

Yes Shane – and of all your wordly years you have obviously ran the full gamut of what happens.. We should all bow to your superiority..

It was nothing to do with incorrect application – it was down to the fact that condoms have a failure rate – I take it you realise they aren’t infallible? Same goes for the pill. Same goes for the coil, in fact any form of contraception – even vasectomy – you know a woman can get pregnant without technically having sex as well as while she is pregnant don’t you (that’s what paternal twins are).

It’s not an exact science – it ever has been.. But by all means ignore reality in favour of your half baked and poorly educated assumptions..

All you focus on is negativity the whole time! A woman can get this a woman can get that a woman can get the other! It’s all downturn with you! End of the day abortion is the killing of a unborn child! I agree with avortion true life of mother at risk, suicide risk, rape and baby severely deformed detected early! Absoloutly not do I agree with abortion under all condition or if u want to put it on demand

No. I focus on REALITY, perhaps you have heard of it.. Just because your friend smokes and didn’t get cancer doesn’t mean smoking doesn’t cause it!!

With a failure rate of between 2-5% with most forms of contraception, out of 100,000 people having sex that’s 2000-5000 failures – THAT is reality.. Sorry if you don’t like it, but you don’t get to switch it off because it doesn’t suit your agenda..

Again negativity! All u do is talk about what can happen to women during pregnancy! Look at the positives, a pregnancy is a gift of life that most women accept deliriously! contraceptives in the majority when used by both work properly what so u do, look at the small negative rate again! abortion as I said is killing an unborn child! Why not have the child and if u don’t adapt to living your child through 9 months and when born, have it adopted! also I no a girl with a bar in her arm who was by the medical practitioner virtually she won’t get pregnant as its so good! You( as a woman) will get your wish, abortion under serious condition but not under every circumstance

Virtually guareenteed

Virtually is not the same as completely Shane, no matter how you wanna dress it up.. It seems that not only do you have issues with grammar, punctuation, and logic – you seem to have issues with the English language..

The fact is that it happens. No amount of poorly formed assumptions on your part can change that.

Now – with regards your criteria..
In the case of rape – does the rape have to be ruled on in a court of law before the abortion can be procured? How long will that take? Surely it’s best to get the abortion early – when its still an embryo as opposed to a foetus?

Abnormalities aren’t usually found til later – how does that fit into your worldview?

Threats to her life – what sort of level of threat are we talking here? Cancer but the chemo can’t start with the pregnancy in progress like Michelle Harte? A threat of suicide like X? A miscarriage that has failed to complete leaving the cervix open and opening the uterus up to E. coli and other infections like Savita?

This abortions in certain circumstances doesn’t work – there’s too many variables. Set a time limit – ie – the point where the baby could survive if born (21.5 weeks was the absolute earliest on record – with a lot of help)

As for the other stuff – stop assuming all women want babies, they don’t. Many have perfectly valid reasons not to – such as health. The fact that you are ignorant to this leaves a massive gap in your reasoning..

I could give a huge paragraphs and paragraphs reply to that but I won’t! If women constantly worried about all the things that can go wrong and happen to them during pregnancy no woman would have kids! Your negativity yes negativity everything that can go on during a pregnancy you harp on about and it’s astounding! ill relate to one thing tho! Lack of abortion did not kill savita, septacimia did! Plus an abortion wouldn’t have saved her! I no contraception has a failure rate lol but instead of worrying what will happen I look at its purpose, a condom and a female contraceptive are invented to stop pregnancies! Dunno what age you are but I’m guessing your over 30. Have your tubes tied! If so many girls didnt want kids and like so many say how abortion is so easy to have in the ul they would all hop on planes BUT most young pregnancies are accidental and girls feel shocked and panic BUT they go ahead and bond with their pregnancy (not worry about all the things that can go wrong) something you bounce on all the time and then bond with their healthy gorgeous babies!

And there you have it.
You don’t give a toss about what women actually *want*. You reckon that they are there to have babies, they do want babies – whether they say they do or not.. They just don’t know what they want.. Let the pregnancy show them eh?

Force them to experience a pregnancy. Something you yourself will never have to do and have NO idea what it is like. Sod that – there’s labour too – lets ignore that little chore shall we?

Have you ever tried putting yourself in a woman’s shoes? It’s one thing if you have plans to have kids someday and it just happens a bit earlier than you would like – what if you have reasons for not wanting kids? Health reasons for example?

Just because you don’t want to face up to reality doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist – sticking your head in the sand is no solution for anything..
But there’s no point in trying to talk rationally to someone who takes their half baked assumptions as fact.. Come back to me when you’ve realised that there’s more colours than black and white.

Oh and ps – how do you reckon Savita got septicaemia? Having a dilated cervix for 72 hours wasn’t a factor no?

The chairman of my local gaa club got septicimia! He didn’t have a dilated cervix! I tell u what i no that some women don’t fancy having a baby heck I no 2 who never wanted to be pregnant but found themselves pregnant and both adapted to it and love it! What u want me 2 say is I agree with the women who want abortion on demand regardless of the situation! My answer is I don’t! As my father said to me once yes under circumstances! I said what about in normal cases! His reply was Absoloutly under no circumstance should she be allowed kill a baby’s life! That somes it up for me! Jesus Christ throughout this article your like an anti pregnancy woman giving all the things that can go wrong! I tell u what go and highlight all of them to all women and no one will have a pregnancy lol

Ah, anatomy and physiology isn’t your strong point either is it?
Septicaemia is blood poisoning. It is caused when an infection enters the bloodstream directly – see, all other avenues into the body have defence mechanisms, but an open wound doesn’t.
A dilated cervix is essentially like a gaping open wound – it’s not a wound (before you misinterpret this), but it is an open entrance to the internal organs, which have a rich blood supply – and happen to be located beside the anus – which is where you find E. coli – which Savita is also supposed to have had – it may well have *caused* the septicaemia (blood poisoning with faecal germs – get it?)..

Leaving that wide open for 72 hours is the EQUIVALENT (note not exactly the same) as leaving a cut that goes down into muscle, open for 72 hours beside some faeces. Never mind the candida..

You know – usually when people are so set on their opinions they have some form of understanding of the subject besides “it’s what my dad told me”.. Perhaps it’s time you started thinking for yourself? Of course this would require you learning quite a bit, but it could only be of benefit to you..

Of I have my own opinion which agrees exactly with all I have spoken to about it so far! Not one agree with pregnancy been terminated in all circumstances! It is exactly killing a child’s life!

No I’m not gonna claim to be a doctor and no all about septicimia but I do no what I read by 2 experienced medical personal In that area plus my cousin is a qualified doctor( female). all said its high that an abortion wouldn’t have saved her

“Doctor” is a vague term, what’s her speciality?
Because here’s an OBGYN who reckons different (that stands for Obstetrics and Gynaecology – or doctors who specifically deal with pregnancy and the female reproductive system)
http://drjengunter.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/did-irish-catholic-law-or-malpractice-kill-savita-halappanavar/

And, to be fair, had you read any of James Connollys input here over the Savita case you would have read all of this already (it’s his field of work so he is more than qualified to comment).

I suspect that your lack of knowledge in the area of pregnancy leads to the impasse here – you have the ideal view of it – and that is fair enough, but it is an extremely narrow view, and as a result you seem ignorant to the harsh realities that can and do occur every day.
Rather than deal with that you seem to be happy to continue sweeping them under the carpet and ignoring them. But that is what led us down this road in the first place. It is better to deal with things and take action than to try and ignore them and let it get worse. Even if we had abortion on demand here there wouldn’t be a massive increase – women who want abortions have abortions. The difference is whether they have one under medical supervision or if they risk their lives with a home job. Would you prefer to let pregnant women die because you can’t deal with them having a choice?

That’s horse manure, “abortions wouldn’t increase here if legalised”! Of course they would! You think that everyone who doesn’t want their baby goes to the uk for an abortion? Don’t make me laugh! I told you I agree with abortion under conditions! It’s the same now! life of the mother I’s one of them and one of the main reason we are here is savitas case! You never addressed my point if every women had all the negative views on pregnancy you have and all the “risks” to themselves in the process nobody would have kids! if its so easy to have an abortion in the uk, I tell you what! Brining it in here in serious conditions only should suffice to women and let the ones who don’t want an “accidental pregnancy” go to the uk! How’s that for an idea? Lol

Shane reading your comments makes me want to bang my head off a desk. Here’s what I’m reading.

Shanti: Men don’t have to commit to all the physical changes a woman does
Shane: Use a condom!
Shanti: You know contraception isn’t infallible? I’ve had two incidents myself.
Shane: Use a condom! You’re so negative.
Shanti: I’m explaining how pregnancy can occur regardless, and how women’s bodies respond to it.
Shane: Use a condom! I heard women love babies anyway.

Your comments absaloutley reek of illiterate, ill-informed judgemental misogyny.

I’m been smart at times on purpose but her comments scream negativity! Not one thing positive posted! Read my last comment on this story as I’m not typing everything again! It’ sums it up for me

Shane, let me spell it out nice and clear.
Some women want babies, it’s the one thing in life that they look forward to most. They won’t start having abortions unless its necessary.

There are women who do not want to have children, they will seek out abortion regardless.

There are health conditions that can be made significantly worse by pregnancy – whether the woman *wants* to continue would depend on how she feels about having children.
If she doesn’t want to, and she can afford it – she will go to the UK, 4500 per year do at present.
We do not have figures for how many women die from home abortions here as far as I know, but it is a leading cause of maternal mortality in nations where abortion remains illegal worldwide.

Hormonal contraception works by fooling the body into thinking it is pregnant – and as a woman can get pregnant while pregnant (although admittedly at a very early stage), this is why these drugs are not infallible (that and some other factors), Barrier methods are susceptible to holes and tears, this is why they are not infallible. Morning after isn’t anywhere near 100% either.

If a woman gets pregnant and feels that she can continue with the pregnancy then she can keep the baby or offer it for adoption. If she does not feel that she can carry a pregnancy then she should be able to terminate, and be near her friends and family for support rather than sent away under a cloak of shame imposed by people who have no idea what she is going through.

My comment disappeared! I’m broken hearted

Conception is start of life? Seriously, stop being funny. Molar pregnancy also starts at conception, which can be a form of evasive cancer. Now, is that your baby and sacred life?

You think that women would choose abortion as a form of contraception?!

What complete and utter nonsense.

Tricia please do not think I am defending or championing abortion but what percentage of unwanted pregnancies do you think are avoidable. Irish women thankfully demanded easy access to contraception against the wishes ( to say the least ) of a very powerful church so Abortion as a contraception is not something I would imagine to be too common.

22% of UK pregnancies . These were all suicidal girls, rape victims or women in mortal danger during pregnancy? Clearly not. Clearly it is used by some people who just don’t want to have a baby. So how would you define contraception?

@vincent
Unsure if you are asking me that question but I will answer it anyway & please ignore if it wasn’t directed at me. I would define contraception as a means to prevent conception.

Happier, but it’s still not enough.

So basically you want abortion on demand?

Choice …people should have the option…

In certain circumstances

@Shane

And let me guess. You will decide what those “certain circumstances” are?

The only time abortion should be permitted is when a woman is pregnant and she doesn’t want to be. (usual caveat: up to viability of the fetus and bearing in mind the vast, vast, vast majority occur prior to 12-14 weeks)

And let’s be honest here. Abortion is happening. Every day women travel to the UK. And its the women who don’t have the access to funds that are FORCED into carrying a pregnancy to term. This is very much an issue where poorer women are the ones suffering.

Whatever happened to bodily autonomy?

Serious circumstances like rape , life of mother at risk etc! You don’t need to be a rocket scientist

No Shane, you just need to be a woman.

No because ye want abortion on demand whether you admit it or not

Shane, do you have basic reading comprehension? I was quite clear in what I want. I want ANY pregnant woman to have the option of a termination if she deems it fit. So, yes, I want abortion on demand. (again with the usual caveat, fetus viability etc etc)

Not at all! Glad you admitted it but its bullcrap

@Tricia G completely agree!! Is there any other circumstance where a man or woman is forced by society to go through something that puts them through so much stress against their will? If a woman doesn’t want to go through a pregnancy that should be the final word on the mater!!

I want full control over what lives off my body. That’s about it.

Mate wrap it and make sure she is on a contraceptive and u will have no need to worry! Double protection will/should save you

I can some my view up simply
Introduce abortion under conditions not in all circumstances! That easy enough for you to understand?

*sum. Damn, you were so close buddy.

Comes back with a spelling error lmao!

If you can’t differentiate between sum and some, know and no or true and through, then I don’t believe you could possibly wrap your head around the complexities of the abortion debate. This is probably the reason behind your countless BS postings, which read like they were written by a mentally challenged teenager. I really don’t want to waste anymore time responding to you and I sure as shit won’t be debating it with you. Bye now.

Exactly because you don’t want to listen to the views of someone who supports the life of the unborn in normal circumstances! I post fast type fast couldn’t care less what way I spell :)

Is this school where you get into trouble if teacher detects grammar or spelling mistakes? lol!

Yes Maria seems like it ha

Since you seem to know exactly what will happen in the future, can I please have the lotto numbers.

Sorry for double post – was meant to be a reply to Vincent:

Vincent – do you really mistrust women that much? Do you think they will go through the rigmarole, let alone have the acting capabilities, to fool TWO medical practitioners that they are genuinely suicidal? It is grossly offensive to women to suggest that there will be large numbers of pregnant women doing this, and hugely offensive to the medical practitioners of Ireland to suggest they will not do their jobs thoroughly and in the best interets of their patients. The belief that this legislation will ‘”open the door to abortion on demand” is only a “legitimate concern” for those people who trust neither the women of Ireland nor their their doctors.
Also, no doubt you’ve heard it before, but no one is ‘pro-abortion’. It is never a pleasant or easy option, but for many women it is the right thing for them, their partner, their other children and their family. Every woman, every case, every circumstance is different and no one else should have the audacity to say they know what the right solution is for a woman. That is why a woman must have choice to decide what is best for her and her family. No one wants women to have abortions, but the fact is that in today’s world there are a multitude of reasons why a woman may not feel able or willing to continue with a pregnancy, and that must be her decision in the end. If you are truly against women having abortions I assume you support greater access to effective contraception, more sex education, more community and financial support for mothers and families etc?

Don’t know about Vincent, but I not only mistrust women, but humans in general to act unselfishly with the legal ability to terminate another.

Same bullshit arguments from the prolifers.
It would be much easier for a woman to travel to the UK than to convince trained professionals that she is suicidal.
The hypocrisy you show by ignoring the thousands of women who do travel is mind blowing. “Sure, it’s grand if its not happening here”. It’s still irish women lads. But you don’t care about the abortions, just the location of the abortions. Most of you are cowards with half beliefs and even less conviction.

@kate- I think people can be selfish. Deadbeat Dads walk off and leave not only their child but also the mother to fend for themselves. The fact that we legislate to stop this doesn’t mean we inherently mistrust men- it just means we won’t as a society let the exceptions get away with it. In the UK 20%+ of healthy pregnancies are terminated. That does suggest that for some Abortion is a contraception of last resort and they enter into it flippantly. That doesn’t mean women as a gender are selfish- but some are. You’re right- I have heard the “no one is pro-abortion” argument before. It’s the same as the “well I wouldn’t do it but I’m not going to stop someone else” argument. If you won’t do it because you think it’s wrong, and we’re talking about life & death here- well then you have a responsibility to stop others doing it.

You win, clearly the best argument I have ever heard on this issue. /facepalm

Compulsory pregnancy and compulsory continuation of pregnancy are striking forms of slavery and servitude.

Women should and must have the right of bodily integrity, autonomy, the right not to have life or health endangered by being compelled to continue in pregnancy and the right to chose what happens with their bodies.

I value one woman, pregnant or otherwise, over all the foetuses in Ireland.

I have no right to dictate what a woman is entitled to do with her own body.

Let the pregnant mother have the freedom to chose until the 22nd week.

No woman resorts to termination of pregnancy for trivial or capricious reasons and there is no “mischief” which justifies legislative intervention.

We stigmatise abortion/termination by exporting the problem and its solution to the UK, Netherlands etc.

Abortion is murder