_WORLD WATCH______________________________
________________Ireland_______________
Government sets abortion referendum
Voters could restore a ban
The Irish government will seek a national referendum on abortion this autumn, the Sunday Business Post of Dublin revealed. The measure, which will be put before the Irish voters in October or early November, would outlaw direct abortion.
Although the electorate has twice voted to ban abortion in Ireland, the country’s Supreme Court ruled in 1992 that a pregnant woman is entitled to an abortion at any stage of the pregnancy if her life is at risk. Under the terms of that ruling, a pregnant woman’s life is deemed to be endangered if she threatens suicide.
The new legislation would affirm that a pregnant woman is entitled to all necessary medical treatment for a life-threatening physical condition, even if the treatment would result in the death of an unborn child. However, the new law would specifically rule out psychological factors as justification for legal abortion.
The Sunday Business Post quoted pro-life activists as expressing confidence that the government would soon unveil plans for a national referendum on the issue.
Irish anti-abortion campaigners were prominent in the recent defeat of the Nice Treaty referendum. They claimed the treaty would allow the European Union to make abortion available in Ireland.
Bishops criticize immigration crackdown
Fear setbacks for asylum seekers
Ireland’s Catholic bishops have criticized the government for its newest efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, saying the new measures will also affect those who are legitimately seeking asylum.
The government, over the past year, has stationed Irish police in French ferry ports to screen passengers bound for Ireland. A new proposal would fine truck drivers, airlines, and ferry operators who facilitate illegal immigration. The bishops said those penalties would make the transportation industry into an extension of the police and “proxy immigration officials.” They said these groups would inevitably turn away genuine asylum seekers without legal proceedings.
“There are major issues of faith and morality here for our Christian community,” the bishops said.
Justice Minister John O’Donoghue dismissed the criticisms, saying similar laws are being drafted in all 15 European Union states and will only help block the illegal trafficking of human beings. He added that asylum applications must be made in the countries the refugees are coming from and not after they have entered Ireland illegally.
Back to Catholic World Report August/September 2001 Table of Contents