Irish lawmakers approved a bill Wednesday that will create “safe access zones” limiting pro-life speech around abortion facilities.
The legislation creates a buffer zone of 100 meters around “consulting rooms, family planning clinics and women’s health clinics, as well as hospitals” that commit abortions. Sidewalk counseling and other pro-life activity is prohibited within the zone; anyone who repeatedly violates the order faces a fine or six months in prison. The bill mimics legislation that was passed in Northern Ireland last year.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly praised the bill’s passage, showing how in just a handful of years Ireland has gone from merely legalizing the killing of preborn children to treating it as a sacred right that must be protected above all else.
“The fundamental premise of this bill is about respect. It is about dignity. It is about ensuring that people can access healthcare services and feel safe and not be intimidated,” he said. “It aims to ensure that our friends, colleagues, and family members are treated with consideration and empathy at a time when they need care.
READ: ‘Treated like a criminal’: British woman awaits trial for holding sign in abortion buffer zone
Though they are often vilified by those like Donnelly who are in favor of abortion, pro-life sidewalk counselors are, by and large, peaceful and prayerful in their vigils. Many are able to offer hope, support, and alternatives to women who may feel that abortion is their only option. Live Action News has shared some of the stories of women who have spoken out thanking sidewalk counselors for their life-saving support.
“This draconian legislation will do nothing to help women in unplanned pregnancies. Instead, it seeks to smear pro-life citizens and introduces sweeping measures which undermine everyone’s fundamental rights,” said Eilís Mulroy, spokesperson of Pro Life Campaign.
“The Bill will criminalise any perceived attempt to influence one’s decision to have an abortion within a 100-metre zone of a premises where abortion could be provided; in essence this means every GP practice, maternity hospital, or family planning clinic in the country,” Mulroy continued. “This Bill is not simply about preventing ‘protests’, but will criminalise the possibility of a woman receiving an offer of help when she might need it most.”
According to Donnelly, the bill will now be referred to the office of the President for signature.
