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DUBLIN, May 2, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Irish pro-life groups have slammed the government for presenting draft legislation that ignores expert “medical evidence” that abortion is no cure for suicidal ideation and allows the direct killing of Irish children.

The coalition government’s bill was released to the public yesterday and includes no restrictions on gestational age limits, allowing abortions to be carried out through all nine months of pregnancy.

The draft legislation says it is not an offense to take action “as a result of which unborn human life is ended.” Under the current law, it is possible for a doctor to induce early labor if it is medically warranted to save the mother’s life, but they are required to give equal consideration to the life of both mother and child. The new bill will allow doctors to act directly to end the life of the child, based only on a demand for abortion, backed up by a threat of suicide.

The Life Institute has said that the governing party, Fine Gael has “caved in” to pressure from their heavily pro-abortion Labor coalition partners.

“Fine Gael made a deal with Labor – ‘Support our austerity measure, and we’ll give you abortion,’ but it is Fine Gael who will now become known as the abortion party,” said Niamh Uí Bhriain, head of the Life Institute.

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“We’ve seen the horrors of the Kermit Gosnell case in the U.S. in recent weeks, and just how horrific late term abortions are.” Uí Bhriain added, “Labor represent less than 10 percent of the people now according to polls, yet they are deciding for the whole country on this issue of life and death.”
The government is using the ruling of the 1992 X Case, in which the Supreme Court said that a threat of suicide is sufficient justification for abortion. But psychiatric experts testified to the government’s committee that abortion is not a suitable treatment for suicidal ideation.

Last week 113 Irish psychiatrists signed a statement saying they are “deeply concerned” about plans to legislate for suicidality as grounds for abortion.
Clare Molloy of Youth defense said they are now committed to informing voters that Fine Gael’s legislation was opening the door to abortion on demand.

“Enda Kenny’s claim that this legislation is restrictive is seriously undermined by the experience of other countries,” Molloy said. Britain has several legal grounds offering justifications for abortion that have left legal restrictions as little more than tokens.

The bill, she added, “makes abortionists out of Irish doctors who are committed to saving lives.”

Cora Sherlock of the Pro Life Campaign said, “In reality, no real progress can be made until Fine Gael confronts the Labor Party on the fact that abortion is not a treatment for threatened suicide and may in fact lead to serious mental health consequences for women.”

Niamh Uí Bhriain spoke with LifeSiteNews.com, saying, “The backlash against the people who brought this legislation forward is what’s important now, now that we know that they’ve written down in black and white that the life of an unborn child can be ended.”

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She vowed that should the TDs pass this legislation with its current wording, the pro-life movement in Ireland would make their political lives “miserable.”

“It’s hugely important for politicians,” she said, “to realize that people are horrified by this change.”

“We’re going to make Fine Gael pay for even suggesting this legislation,” she said.