NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FIGHT TO PROTECT LIFE

The Pro-Life Campaign

Before Christmas, a motion was put forward to the Dail by Paul Murphy TD that would allow abortion on request right up to the moment of birth. Thankfully, a majority of TDs voted to stop it progressing by 73 to 71 votes.

If Deputy Murphy believes unborn babies are entitled to any legal protection, now is the time for him to say so - and to state clearly where he draws that line. In more than a decade in the Dáil, he has never identified circumstances in which he believes unborn babies should be protected. Anyone who has read his latest bill can see it explicitly calls for the decriminalisation of abortion, removing any remaining legal protection for the unborn child.

Meanwhile in the UK, in late December, the government announced plans to ban traditional methods used by chefs and others to kill lobsters and crabs in the cooking process. The proposal forms part of the Labour Party’s new animal welfare crackdown. The ban will not stop with lobsters and crabs. It will also apply to shrimp, prawns, squid, and octopus - species officially recognised as “sentient beings capable of experiencing pain and suffering” in 2022 by the previous Conservative government.

Beyond the economic and practical implications lies a deeper moral question. Many of the same politicians enthusiastically supporting this ban have consistently rejected proposals to offer precautionary pain relief to unborn babies during late-term abortions. To many observers, this reveals a striking inconsistency in how suffering is acknowledged and prioritised - and the profound disregard shown toward unborn human babies.

This ethical disconnect was similarly evident in Ireland shortly before Christmas. In the Dáil, some TDs voted to ban fox hunting, citing animal welfare concerns, having voted minutes earlier to progress a Private Members’ Bill that would allow abortion on request up to birth.

The National Economic and Social Council (NESC) has said that Ireland’s birthrate is falling fast. In 2010, 77,000 babies were born in Ireland. In 2024, the number fell to just 54,000 births. Yet in all the media reports in recent days about the lower numbers of babies being born, there wasn't one mention of Ireland's massive abortion rate.

For years, the Pro Life Campaign has been calling for better supports for pregnant women and new families - financial help, housing and other supports - so that women don't feel compelled or pressured to have abortions for economic reasons.

Some progress was made in 2025 in convincing politicians that urgent action is needed. For those members of the Oireachtas still refusing to acknowledge reality, it’s time for them to join the dots.

Finally, the issue of sex selective abortions in the UK has been flagged for some time. A quick internet search will produce articles on the topic dating from a decade ago and more. In the first week of the New Year, the issue is back in the headlines, after BPAS – Britain’s biggest abortion provider – more or less said in no uncertain terms: We do, actually, tolerate sex selective abortions.

If this was another area where males and females were treated differently, there would be an outcry. Yet, the irony and blindness is that because these females who are targeted for abortion, are unborn, they have no rights and so the practice continues.