Bill criminalizing pro-life speech near abortion facilities advances in Assembly of Ireland

Editor’s Note: The following is excerpted from an email sent by Eilís Mulroy of the Prolife Campaign in Ireland.

(Prolife Campaign) The result of last night’s Dáil vote on the Exclusion Zone Bill was not all that surprising given that the main political parties didn’t allow a free vote, unlike say the recent vote on the Bríd Smith abortion bill.

Last night, 111 TDs voted in favour of criminalising peaceful pro-life protests outside abortion facilities, with just 10 TDs opposing the bill at second stage. The bill now proceeds to committee stage before a final stage vote takes place at a future unspecified date.

The small number of ‘No’ votes yesterday shows what happens when the party whips are imposed. But it’s not the full story either. From the day, then Minister for Health Simon Harris first mooted censorship zone legislation back in 2019, it was evident from talking to TDs that there was widespread support in the Oireachtas for such a law and that many were not even open to discussing the matter unlike other aspects of the abortion debate where pro-life changes are being sought.

READ: Scottish Parliament advances abortion facility ‘buffer zones’ bill

Another alarming point is the lack of awareness among TDs regarding just how draconian the Exclusion Zone Bill actually is. No doubt it suits some TDs to stay unenlightened about what’s contained in the bill, but even the deputy garda commissioner, during the Gardaí’s appearance before the Health Committee in November 2022, appeared confused about the nature of the proposed exclusion zone law. She erroneously stated that most abortions occur in hospital settings and that signage could be erected to identify each zone, as though the exclusion zones were confined to a small number of areas outside hospitals. The facts are that the bill envisages the creation of 100-metre exclusion zones outside every single GP clinic in the country, something that the deputy garda commissioner appeared completely oblivious to.

Given the lack of debate and attention to detail that sadly has become par for the course in Leinster House of late, it can be very disheartening for pro-life volunteers lobbying politicians.

But even when TDs are not listening, we still have a duty to speak up for the unborn child and their mothers. If members of the Oireachtas choose to ignore what we are saying, that’s their responsibility.

As we’ve seen with the recent Bríd Smith pro-abortion bill (64 TDs voted against it), it is still possible to garner support for the pro-life side on a case by case basis, provided of course that the main political parties permit a free vote.

The bill that passed at second stage last night is inherently discriminatory. If it became law, it would single out pro-life citizens and strip them of their basic right to peacefully take a stand for life in a huge swathe of public areas, including the centre of many large towns and cities.

What the bill contains is completely unacceptable in a supposedly free and democratic country. If you contacted your local TDs in recent days asking them to vote against the bill, thank you for taking the time to do so. Do not be discouraged, you did the right thing.

As an organisation, we will continue to lobby on this bill and call on the main parties in the Dáil to allow a free vote at final stage….

Editor’s Note: This article was excerpted from a Prolife Campaign email.