Guest Column

Irish health minister ‘committed’ to banning pro-life prayer outside abortion centers

pro-life, Ireland

(Life Site News) Simon Harris, Ireland’s health minister, has promised to create “exclusion zones” banning pro-life witness around abortion facilities.

Harris said he is “committed” to restricting pro-life speech outside abortion centers after pro-abortion politicians condemned pro-lifers online.

A video of a pro-life witness outside the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin (where babies are aborted) was posted to Twitter by Dr. Mary Higgins, a consultant at the hospital.

“Right here (national maternity hospital), right now 1/1/20; wonder why we need exclusion zones @LeoVaradkar @SimonHarrisTD – beneath the windows of a postnatal ward, in front if people leaving after a miscarriage, with small coffins, crosses and unsavoury images,” she tweeted.

Harris replied to the tweet, saying, “Appalled to see. I don’t wonder why we need it at all. Have been engaging with Attorney General, Gardai & service providers about how best to bring it in in a manner that is constitutional etc. Can assure you I am committed to it and will be meeting cross party on it this month.”

In comments to the press, Harris blasted the peaceful pro-lifers, asking, “How dare you turn up at a National Maternity Hospital and try to intimidate women?”

Harris also wrote a series of tweets on his own Twitter account on January 1 celebrating the introduction of abortion to the Republic of Ireland.

Catherine Noone, the deputy leader of the Irish Senate, also took to Twitter to complain about the pro-life event, saying, “We can’t wait any longer for exclusion zone legislation, it should have been done before now. It needs to be a major priority for the start of the new term. The danger is that it might never happen if there’s a change of Government.”

Higgins has been criticized by a number of Twitter users for having supported a pro-abortion event outside the same hospital in 2018. One user responded to Higgins’ claim to be concerned about the impact of a pro-life witness on women leaving the hospital after a miscarriage, by asking, “Not worried about mothers to be that day, were you?”
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The National Maternity Hospital was the focus of media attention last year when an expectant mother opted to have an abortion after a test taken at the hospital inidicated her that her child had Trisomy 18. It was later confirmed that the baby had been perfectly healthy and the devastated mother called for a public enquiry. In September of last year, the first 40 Days for Life campaign of peaceful pro-life prayer was launched outside the hospital following the introduction of legislation allowing for abortion on demand in the Emerald Isle.

Editor’s Note: This article was published at Life Site News and is reprinted here with permission.

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