Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have serious concerns about this Bill. I believe its inevitable outcome will be to deny women the option of availing of lifesaving supports when they need them most. This criminalisation is far too sweeping, particularly when considering the sheer number of safe access zones that this law would create, covering every GP clinic, hospital and family planning centre, irrespective of whether they provide abortions. In England and other jurisdictions where similar laws exist, we have seen cases of people who have been arrested for silently praying in the vicinity of abortion clinics. What guarantee is there that people would not be arrested here for praying quietly? If a small group or an individual were to stand outside Beaumont Hospital and pray a rosary intended for the sick or the healthcare workers, they would be well within their rights, but if they offered intentions for the unborn child, they would suddenly fall foul of this law and be treated as having committed a crime.

While the impact of the Bill on religious freedom is relevant, I am also concerned that it would forbid the possibility of any positive efforts by private citizens and good Samaritans to offer women in unplanned pregnancies meaningful supports at a time they need it most. Under this law, a person would be prevented from quietly standing in a public place with an optional leaflet in hand, the contents of which simply offer information or supports for women in unplanned pregnancies. I am not describing situations where leaflets are offered unsolicited but rather where a person just wants to stand there harmlessly. We know that is done in other jurisdictions and it has filled a gap by providing women who are considering an abortion with a much-needed lifeline.

If we want to be a compassionate society that respects women, we need to ensure that no woman ever feels she has no choice but to have an abortion. That is too often the case at present. The State-run My Options hotline acts as little more than an abortion referral service. It is well established, both on the record of this House and outside it, that there is no evidence that legislation such as this is needed. Senior gardaí have repeatedly stated that existing public order legislation is sufficient to defend people from harassment and intimidation and none of the major hospitals in this country have reported anything approaching the scenarios pro-abortion campaigners claim are a daily occurrence. While such campaigners may smugly remind pro-life persons that the referendum is over, it remains a fact that one third of this country never wanted abortion introduced in this country and their voices are valid and must be counted and allowed to be heard.

We have in this country a tradition of silent and peaceful prayer vigils that often take place in the vicinity of hospitals as a way to pray for those suffering inside. That is what this Bill seeks to ban - not harassment but prayer. Archbishop Eamon Martin was absolutely correct when he said that such a move would "further silence the voice of the innocent unborn" and increase fears for the freedoms of religion and speech. He asked, "What next? How long before it is deemed unlawful to openly express in Ireland the reasonable opinion that there are two lives in every pregnancy worth protecting – the life of a mother and the life of her unborn child?" I fear that this Government is putting through this House a raft of legislation that when combined, will severely curtail our human rights and civic freedoms.

This Bill will not protect women. It will deny them the opportunity to avail of assistance to willingly receive help and counsel when it is most needed. It seeks to ruthlessly punish all those whose conviction or faith leads them to stand up for the most vulnerable in our society, namely, unborn babies. It is yet another Government Bill that seeks to punish opposition to the prevailing narrative, to copperfasten the supremacy of the majority over the minority opinion. It is a terrible proposal and I will not support this Bill.