Press Release: A vote for Sinn Féin is now a vote for abortion on demand

Do you believe in basic principles? Do you believe in an Ireland where all are cherished equally? Do you believe in a fundamental, universal, equal right to life? If you do, then Sinn Féin is not a party which shares your values.

Precious Life are responding to the actions of Sinn Féin at the party's ard fheis this weekend, where members of the party voted overwhelmingly in favour of completely extending abortion access in Ireland. The move backs a total undermining of the right to life across Ireland, which would lead to widespread abortion on demand, akin to the UK model of abortion.

Not only did Sinn Féin’s ard fheis vote to completely extend access to abortion in Ireland, but it also rejected a motion calling for a ‘conscience vote’ on abortion. This means that members of the party are now obliged to follow Sinn Féin’s explicitly pro-abortion stance without exclusion, rather than being permitted to adopt their own conscientious stance on abortion, which would allow members to follow their own moral and ethical pro-life convictions.

"The view that the basic right to life itself should not be repealed is no longer a position welcome or permitted within the ranks of Sinn Féin. It is a stance so incredulously heinous that many supporters of the party and their republican objectives are now deeply disheartened, disgusted and disappointed," Bernadette Smyth of Precious Life said today. 

“Aside from the realisation that each and every abortion is one too many, limited abortion does not exist and can never be legislated for. Widespread abortion access does however exist abundantly and is always, always the end goal of abortion advocates," the Precious Life director added.

The bid to extend the party’s abortion policy was supported by Sinn Féin northern leader Michelle O’Neill, who last week told The Irish News it was “just a restatement of our current policy with additional features”. The Northern leader said she would “accept abortion in certain, limited cases.”

Precious Life remind voters that Sinn Féin's position on the rights of the unborn and the abortion issue is utterly shambolic. This deeply compromised stance is a fabrication and it’s beyond naive - it’s wholly farcical. Director of Precious Life Bernadette Smyth said: “The people of this country need reminding that there is absolutely no such thing as ‘restricted’ or ‘limited’ abortion. There never has been and there never will be. Not a single nation which has legalised abortion has been capable of restricting abortion exclusively to these ‘certain, limited cases’ Michelle O’Neill talks about.”

Perhaps so-called leaders such as Michelle O’Neill, should look at Great Britain, a nation which introduced abortion initially under extremely limited grounds through the 1967 abortion act.  50 years down the line, and 8.8 million unborn children have been lost to abortion. An estimated one in three British pregnancies now end so barbarically and tragically through the human discrimination of abortion. Millions of women and men have had their lives torn apart in an abortion culture. Is this the Ireland Sinn Féin want? It’s the Ireland Sinn Féin and their voters will get if we don’t stand up and firmly reject this barbaric discrimination and their disturbing position.

"It has never been clearer that a vote for Sinn Féin is a vote for abortion," Mrs Smyth said.

A vote for Sinn Féin is a vote for widespread abortion up to birth in Northern Ireland and a vote for the full repeal of the 8th Amendment in the Republic of Ireland; the removal of all protection for unborn babies. Life shouldn’t have to be planned, privileged or perfect to be worthy of our protection - let us cherish every single child equally. Let us seek real progress by rejecting abortion and embracing real alternatives which love them both,” Mrs Smyth concluded.

Precious Life will continue working to keep abortion not only illegal, but unthinkable.






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