The Pro Life Campaign has called for reorienting Ireland’s social welfare system to promote a pro-child ethos, ensuring positive alternatives are provided to women in unplanned pregnancy, and guaranteeing that pregnant women and struggling families are prioritised in housing policy.

The recommendations were made in a Pre-Budget Submission to the Department of Finance.

PLC spokesperson Eilís Mulroy said the reforms aim at protecting vulnerable women and their babies. “There is a strong correlation between having a state policy which prioritises support for families and a decrease in the number of abortions.

“We have consistently pointed out that since 2019 there has been virtually no effort by the government to provide women in unplanned pregnancies with information about options besides abortion. The HSE My Options hotline has consistently failed to live up to this task and requires an urgent overhaul, ensuring its staff are trained and mandated to offer information about options and supports other than abortion for women seeking help for an unplanned pregnancy.

“As the hardships associated with the cost of living crisis continue to mount, it is vital that the government take serious steps to provide greater supports to the most vulnerable in Irish society. This must include pregnant women and struggling families. The proposals contained in the PLC’s Pre-Budget Submission 2023 provide several important pro-family and pro-women recommendations which have seen successful implementation elsewhere and should be considered by the Irish government.”