A-Infos (en) Ireland - Abortion Rights Group welcomes abortion revelations

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From:pro_choice@ireland.com
Subject: Abortion Rights Group welcomes abortion revelations

Dublin Abortion Rights Group

Press Release
17th January 2000

No Embargo

Abortion Rights Group welcomes abortion revelations

The Dublin Abortion Rights Group has welcomed the recent revelation
that abortions are being carried out in Irish hospitals in cases
where the lives of women are threatened by continuing a pregnancy.
A DARG spokesperson said: 'We were aware that such terminations were
taking place in Ireland and we addressed this issue in our submission
to the All Party Committee on the Green Paper. We are glad that the
pretence that there is no abortion in Ireland is at an end'.

The DARG strongly opposes the suggestion that another constitutional
referendum should be held to impose an 'absolute ban' on abortion. It
is clear that the imposition of such a ban would have very dangerous
implications for the medical treatment of pregnant women as it would
outlaw life saving emergency procedures. In such cases an abortion
could be refused, leading to the death of the woman. There have already
been cases where treatment for cancer has been withheld because of the
possibility of damage to the foetus.

For decades various 'pro-life' groups have argued that there are no
cases in which abortion is necessary to save a woman's life. It is now
clear that this is not true. Philosophical arguments about 'direct' and
'indirect' abortion, political loopholes and constitutional wordings are
totally irrelevant to the lives and health of Irish woman. It is time for
the government to introduce legislation to permit terminations in cases
of danger to the lives of Irish women and to provide legal protection for
doctors who carry out such operations. Political cowardice and blackmail
from Independent TDs must not over-rule the right to life of women.

DARG spokesperson Ivana Bacik said:
'The abortion debate must be removed from the arena of legal, theological
and political debate. The private and personal medical decisions made by
individual women should be left to women themselves, in consultation with
their medical advisers. Abortion and the lives and health of Irish women
must cease to be a tool to be used by religious fundamentalists to exert
political power in this state.'

[ENDS]


More Information

Dublin Abortion Rights Group
PO Box 7344
Dublin 8

E mail     pro_choice@ireland.com
Website    http://go.to/darg
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