Mattie McGrath accuses Government of having an ‘aggressively pro-choice’ agenda

Independent TD Mattie McGrath has accused the Government of having a “hostile, manipulative and aggressively pro-choice’’ abortion agenda.

Mr McGrath, who strongly opposes repeal of the Eighth Amendment, told the Dáil the question to be put to the people was whether they wanted to hand over power on abortion laws to politician leaders and whether they could live with the consequences if they did.

He said the manner in which the Government had dealt with the issue had been nothing short of disgraceful.

“There has been no rationale offered as to why the entire process has had to lead to a mad rush to May 25th as the date for the proposed referendum, which will strip the unborn children of all constitutional protection if the amendment is removed,’’ he added.

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Mr McGrath said it was tragically ironic that the May date for the referendum was the National Missing Children’s Day in the United States, whose abortion regime Ireland was about to follow in too many ways.

Mr McGrath said a poll of GPs had found that that two-thirds of those asked had said they would refuse to comply with the Government’s proposals on abortion services.

This ought to be a devastating and potentially fatal blow to an essential feature of the Government’s plan, he added.

Mr McGrath said serious consideration must be given to scrapping the proposal because of the proposal would not work.

He asked whether foreign abortion providers, with appalling health records, would set up in Ireland.