This week’s newsletter covers the debate on assisted suicide, an article about the 10% of GPs that are providing abortions and our annual auction!

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** In This Week’s Issue:
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* National Conference in Cork TOMORROW. Book your place now! 😊
* Dáil debate on Joint Committee Report on Assisted Dying ⚖️
* Academic article says that 10% of GPs are providing abortions 📰
* Urgent: Items needed today for Pro Life Campaign Annual Auction!


** LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER!
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** PLC National Conference 2024 happening
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** in Cork tomorrow!
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Tomorrow’s Pro Life Campaign National Conference in Cork is going to be an amazing family-friendly event, with excellent speakers and an opportunity to meet fellow pro-life supporters from around the country!

If you haven’t already registered for this FREE event, you can still do so NOW by clicking on the button below.
Register TODAY ([link removed])

Admission is FREE but donations are welcome on the day to defray costs.

We’re all looking forward very much to seeing you there tomorrow!


** Event Details
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Date: Tomorrow, Saturday the 19th October 2024

Time: 12:30pm – 4:00pm (Workshops from 11:30am)

Venue: Clayton Hotel, Lapps Quay, Cork City

We have a fantastic line up of guest speakers this year, including Leader of Independent Ireland Michael Collins TD; Councillor Sarah Beasley, the newly elected Aontú representative on Limerick City Council; Ruth O’Sullivan from West Cork who will talk about her experience of abortion and Dr Margaret Naughton, University Hospital Kerry, who will address the latest push for euthanasia in Ireland.
More on Guest Speakers here ([link removed])


** Latest News
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** Yesterday’s Dáil debate: Majority of TDs who spoke expressed opposition to introduction of euthanasia
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**
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Yesterday afternoon, the Dáil debated the pro-euthanasia recommendations contained in the report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Assisted Dying. The committee was established following the unexpected passage at Second Stage of the private members’ Dying With Dignity Bill 2021, proposed by Gino Kenny TD of People Before Profit.

Despite a majority of the committee voting some months back in favour of a euthanasia regime being introduced, when the recommendations were debated in the Dail yesterday, most of the TDs who spoke were opposed to any relaxation of the law to permit euthanasia/assisted suicide. Nine TDs contributed to the debate yesterday, five of whom opposed the introduction of euthanasia, two of whom supported it, and two were non-committal.

During the debate, Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín said that as a country we should focus on “assisted living” instead of “assisted dying”. He referenced countries where euthanasia has been introduced and how quickly it normalised the practice, leading to a massive increase in the numbers opting to end their lives.

He talked about the palliative care doctors who opposed euthanasia and gave evidence to the Oireachtas committee and said there was no group with greater compassion and knowledge on the issue in the community than them. He remarked that once euthanasia is introduced there’s no escaping the fact that older people and people with terminal illnesses increasingly feel pressured to opt for assisted suicide.

Speaking during the debate, Independent TD for Laois-Offaly, Deputy Carol Nolan, said: “Quite simply, the adoption of the recommendations contained in this Report would represent the crossing of an ethical and legislative Rubicon that is almost too terrifying to contemplate.”

She said if the report was adopted, the Oireachtas “will have opened up a Pandora’s Box where the likelihood of grave injustices being visited upon one of the most vulnerable groups in our society will move from grim possibility to absolute certainty.”

Meanwhile, Galway West Fianna Fáil TD, Éamon Ó Cuív, told the Dáil that once the door is opened to euthanasia there's no way of limiting access. He said proponents of euthanasia typically propose something very limited at the outset until it inevitably gets widened more and more.

Westmeath Fianna Fáil TD Robert Troy, who was a member of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying, said during the debate that on balance having listened to the experts who presented before the committee, particularly in the area of palliative care, it left him with a huge concern at what would happen if euthanasia was introduced here.


Fine Gael TD from Kildare Bernard Durkan told the Dáil that he has always been opposed to legislation permitting euthanasia and he expressed grave concern at the way pro-euthanasia/assisted suicide laws in other countries had developed. He said the advances in modern medicine and palliative care were wonderful and that the focus and attention should go to that rather than opening the door to euthanasia.

At no stage was a vote scheduled to take place after yesterday’s debate. Gino Kenny however has called for a vote on the report to take place next week. It is expected that government parties will oppose Kenny’s move. Nothing, however, should be taken for granted until the government makes its stance clear. We should be ready for all eventualities and to mobilise sufficient opposition to defeat the proposal. Stay tuned to our socials and website for more updates.


** Academic article says that 10% of GPs are now providing abortions
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An academic article by Mary Donnelly and Claire Murray (‘Choosing to Provide: Early Medical Abortion and Clinician Conscience in Ireland’), published in September 2024 in the Health Care Analysis journal, has stated that 10% of GPs are now performing abortions. The article took aim at the 90% of doctors who are exercising their freedom of conscience and declining to engage in the abortion process, by stating that some abortion doctors felt it was “stigmatising for providers”. It is ironic that abortion providing doctors could characterise their colleagues’ non-participation as “stigmatising”, yet does not feel that tax-payer funded “values” workshops which aim to persuade

medics to provide abortions are not also somehow stigmatising of those doctors who don’t want to provide abortions.

In one section, the article claims that doctors had received suspicious phone-calls, including requests by male callers for the provision of abortion care to minors. This was linked in with so-called attempted “stings”. But it must be stressed, that there is a serious concern about safeguarding due to the current telemedicine regime. The Irish Examiner reported in October 2022 that an underage girl was “locked in room and forced to take abortion tablets”. The abortion tablets would have been acquired through the insecure and unsafe telemedicine ‘service’, which has been in operation since 2020.

In addition, the article states that doctors’ initial “fears” of pro-life protests described as “violent or extremely intimidating protests… not materialise.” This undercuts the rationale for the introduction of ‘Safe Access Zones’, which was signed into law this summer and became law on 17 th October 2024. In February 2022, extremely hyperbolic language was used in the Seanad to describe the so-called “protests”, with Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee describing small vigils outside UHL in Limerick as “the terror experienced in Limerick”. Others made similarly unproven claims, such as Senator Alice Mary Higgins who claimed that “many rural GPs have their offices where their homes are. They have been subjected to protests outside their homes.” However, evidence for these claims has never been provided. This article confirms the low-scale and harmless of pro-life vigils, despite the new law’s significant overreach and deleterious impact on civil liberties.


** Pro Life Campaign Annual Auction- Items Needed Today!!
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We are excited to announce that our 2024 Online Fundraising Auction is just around the corner!

From November 6th to November 16th, you'll have the chance to support our important cause while bidding on an incredible selection of items. Whether you're interested in jewellery, a stunning painting, a relaxing hotel break, a delightful dining experience, rejuvenating beauty and spa treatments, or an exhilarating golf outing, we have something for everyone!

Donate Auction Items

We are now accepting donations for our auction. Your generosity can make a big difference! Consider donating an item from the following categories:

Jewellery
Hotel/B&B breaks(including holiday home accommodation)
Concert/Entertainment Tickets
Golf or other sports-type vouchers
Food or drinks hampers
Paintings
Gift vouchers(e.g. restaurant, garden centre, retail)
Professional services e.g beauty salon services

If you have something special to contribute, please fill out this short form below and we will be in touch. Every donation counts and brings us closer to our fundraising goals, so thank you! To donate an item click on the button or reply to this message.
Donate auction item here ([link removed])

Thank you for your generosity and support. Together, we can make this event a huge success!


** Communicating the pro-life message. Register today!
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Our next communication workshop is one you won’t want to miss! Join us for an evening of insightful discussion regarding how to better communicate the pro-life message in today’s world

Reserve your FREE spot now! Spaces are limited, so we encourage you to register soon. Looking forward to seeing you there!

When? Wednesday 23rd October

Where? Online event on Zoom

Time? 8:00PM - 9:00PM
Register here ([link removed])


** Seeking Accommodation
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From time to time we need one night of accommodation in Dublin for our volunteer road team. Can you assist?
Email us here (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Accommodation%20in%20Dublin%20for%20Road%20Team&body=)


** Join us in spreading truth and saving lives!
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Your support can make a significant impact in our mission to end abortion. By contributing to the Pro Life Campaign, you enable us to educate, empower, and defend life. Your generous donation ensures that our vital content reaches those who need it the most, leading to changed minds and saved innocent lives. Thank you for your loving generosity in championing this life-saving cause!
Donate Here ([link removed])


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