Dáil shuts down extreme pro-abortion agenda

A proposal to revisit radical plans for the decriminalisation of abortion up to birth has been narrowly rejected by Deputies.

TDs voted by 73 to 71 against restoring the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) (Amendment) Bill 2023 for further debate in the Dáil.

The controversial Private Member’s Bill, which lapsed after the dissolution of the Dáil last year, called for full decriminalisation of abortion up to birth for any reason and the dismantling of the three-day reflection period before having an abortion.

‘Compassion’

Aontú’s Peadar Tóibín forced a vote on the proposal, highlighting the Bill’s extreme agenda.

Motion sponsor Paul Murphy TD, from the People before Profit party, accused Tóibín of “scaremongering” and claimed opponents were motivated by “anti-women politics”.

But Eilís Mulroy of the Pro Life Campaign welcomed the outcome and expressed encouragement at the many TDs “taking stock of the dramatic increase in abortions since the law changed and of the disturbing realities now emerging under the current legislation”.

She added: “As a society, we should be prioritising alternatives to abortion and meaningful support for women, not policies that drive abortion numbers higher.”

Death toll

One in six babies in Ireland were killed by abortion in 2024, according to the Department of Health.

A total of 10,852 abortions took place last year, bringing the number of abortions recorded by the Government since the 2019 law change to around 55,000.

Abortion is available on demand up to twelve weeks, with a three-day reflection period. Since the coronavirus pandemic, women have been allowed to take abortion pills to abort their babies at home.