“Changing the law is not the answer. Perinatal hospice care is the way forward,” says Precious Life’s Bernadette Smyth
In response to David Ford MLA’s recently announced new Private Members Bill to allow abortion of unborn babies with life-limiting disabilities,[1] Bernadette Smyth, the director of Precious Life, stated:
“Over 99% of the people who responded to David Ford MLA’s consultation last year made clear that they want unborn babies with disabilities to remain protected under our laws. But David Ford has completely disregarded the will of the people of Northern Ireland by imposing this new Private Members Bill which is calling for the legalisation of abortion of disabled unborn babies right up to birth. This is lethal discrimination against disabled unborn babies. In fact, a similar Bill was debated in the Northern Ireland Assembly in February and defeated by 59 votes to 40!
“It is clear that David Ford is hell-bent on the changing the law.
“David Ford needs to catch up with the times. What mothers and fathers and their precious little babies need is better perinatal hospice care, not abortion.
“Other countries across the world are advancing better care for parents and their babies with life-limiting disabilities with the provision of perinatal hospice care. Northern Ireland is lagging behind these international standards and it is time it caught up. That is why we are calling on the Northern Ireland Executive to implement a perinatal hospice care programme in hospitals throughout Northern Ireland immediately.”
Footnote 1: In October 2014, in response to then Justice Minister David Ford MLA’s proposals to legalise abortion in cases of so-called ‘lethal foetal abnormality’, Precious Life launched its PROJECT LOVE campaign and presented a total of 23,622 responses to the public consultation showing opposition to a change in our abortion law in Northern Ireland.
In April 2015, it was revealed that, of the 25,320 responses to that consultation, 25,140 of the responses opposed David Ford’s proposals for the lethal discrimination against disabled unborn babies in Northern Ireland.
[1] In October 2014, in response to then Justice Minister David Ford MLA’s proposals to legalise abortion in cases of so-called ‘lethal foetal abnormality’, Precious Life launched its PROJECT LOVE campaign and presented a total of 23,622 responses to the public consultation showing opposition to a change in our abortion law in Northern Ireland.
In April 2015, it was revealed that, of the 25,320 responses to that consultation, 25,140 of the responses opposed David Ford’s proposals for the lethal discrimination against disabled unborn babies in Northern Ireland.