The Pro Life Campaign (PLC) criticised the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill, published early this morning, 
for retaining a provision for terminations for suicidal women.
Caroline Simons, legal advisor to the Pro-Life Campaign, said the “overwhelming weight of evidence” given by psychiatrists during the hearings on the Bill was that “this is not an appropriate treatment and they do not prescribe it for women who are suicidal”.
She said Minister for Health James Reilly “should listen to obstetricians” who are “very uncomfortable suicide being included in this,” the Irish Times reports.
The Bill contains a number of changes from the provisions in the Heads of the Bill. The outline provision in the heads stating that “no institution, organisation or third party shall refuse to provide a lawful termination” has been removed.
However, the Bill provides no conscientious objection clause for Catholic hospitals. Furthermore, while the Heads of the Bill had excluded tertiary hospitals such as the Mater Hospital and St Vincent’s, on the grounds that they were not maternity hospitals, the Bill includes them in the legislation.
Both the Mater Hospital and St Vincent’s are Catholic hospitals.
Ms Simons also raised concern at the lack of time limits. “What we are talking about here is terminating the life of the unborn. there is nothing in this bill that prevents that and there are no time limits that prevent this.”
It could result in the “appalling scenario of partial birth abortions” she told RTÉ Radio.
The Bill also provides that:
-It will be an “offence to intentionally destroy unborn human life”, with those guilty liable to a fine or imprisonment for up to 14 years. This is a tighter definition than in the draft heads, which stated that “it shall be an offence for a person to do any act with the intent to destroy unborn human life”, which may have included the pregnant woman
– The Minister for Health will have power to suspend the service if he believes that an institution is failing to comply with the provisions of the Act
– Information about the date and location of terminations and the section of the Act under which they were performed will be recorded and published in an annual report prepared by the Minister
– General practitioners will only be consulted “with the pregnant woman‘s agreement”, which was not specified in the draft heads
– The number of hospitals where terminations can be performed has been widened from 19 to 24 to include the major teaching hospitals providing intensive care services
Fine Gael TD Peter Matthews told RTÉ Radio he would not support the Bill as it stands. He had “misgivings” about the final Bill which did “not really change things”.
Independent senator Ronan Mullen said the “ bill imports potential horrors” because of the suicide ground. He said the Government had been “dishonest” with the people in “pretending the bill is restrictive and pretending they are somehow legally obliged to do it,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference have called on priests across the country to read their latest response to the Government’s proposed legislation on abortion at Masses this weekend.
They have also invited priests and the Catholic faithful to pray the specially designated ‘Choose Life’ prayer at Masses and in homes in the hope that “the dignity and value of all human life will continue to be upheld in Ireland”.
Speaking to reporters in Maynooth on Tuesday, Bishop Brendan Leahy of Limerick said the bishops hoped people would read their statement. “We hope it will be read out at parishes at the weekend,” he said.
The hierarchy has also asked the Catholic faithful to support an initiative being led by Pope Francis this weekend in Rome which celebrates the sanctity of human life.
In their statement, at the conclusion of their three-day summer meeting in Maynooth yesterday, they referred to a special celebration by the Pontiff entitled ‘Believing, May They Have Life’, a key event for the Year of Faith, which the Catholic Church globally is celebrating this year.
This Saturday, thousands of pro-life supporters from around the world are due to take part in a silent, candle-lit procession in Rome which will conclude in St Peter’s Square.
On Sunday morning, Pope Francis will preside at Mass where he is expected to speak about the value of human life and highlight the teachings of John Paul II’s special encyclical Evangelium Vitae.