A Galway East TD has asked Health Minister Stephen Donnelly what would happen in an Irish hospital in the event that a baby survives a late-term abortion.
Independent Seán Canney, who voted against the introduction of abortion to Ireland in 2018, also raised several other issues through parliamentary questions in the Dáil. Pressing the Health Minister on the issue of abortion, he also asked whether late-term dilation and evacuation abortions were taking place in Ireland.
He also queried whether Irish hospitals – now also the location for abortions – carry out life-affirming surgeries on babies in the womb, for conditions such as spina bifida and what amount was allocated for them to do so.
Significantly, the Health Minister refused to say what happens to babies surviving the abortion procedure. Donnelly did not give a clear answer on what he intends to do to ensure these babies are not abandoned or left to die in excruciating pain without receiving sufficient medical or palliative care.
Deputy Canney asked if special guidelines had been introduced after abortion-performing doctors said they were unsure about what course of action they should take if a baby survives an abortion, as reported here by Gript.
The study in which the doctors’ comments were recorded was published in November 2020 and it revealed that late-term abortion and feticide were taking place in Irish maternity hospitals. The research painted a difficult and disturbing picture of the reality of Ireland’s recently established abortion regime. The study said that Irish doctors carrying out the procedure saw it as ‘brutal’, ‘awful’ and ‘emotionally difficult’ – referring to it as ‘stabbing the baby in the heart’.
It also found that Irish doctors are deeply divided on provision of late-term abortion, and that conflict and opposition arises frequently.
“I remember getting sick out in the corridors afterwards because I thought it (feticide) was such an awful procedure and so dreadful,” one doctor is quoted as saying. Another doctor who was interviewed for the study described “begging people to help” if a child survived an abortion attempt.
Deputy Canney asked the Minister for Health “if his attention has been drawn to research published that drew attention to the fact that there is uncertainty among abortion performing doctors in Ireland regarding the measures to take in the event that an unborn baby survives the abortion procedure; if protocols and guidelines have been put in place to address this humanitarian issue; if so, the precise wording of such protocols and guidelines; if no protocols and guidelines have been put in place, his plans to take measures to address same; and if he will make a statement on the matter.”
In a written response, the Minister for Health said that he was “aware of the article to which the Deputy refers in his question, on ‘Fetal medicine specialist experience of providing a new service of termination of pregnancy for fatal fetal anomaly: a qualitative study”’.
Acknowledging that late-term abortions are indeed taking place in Ireland, he continued, “As the Deputy will be aware, the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 sets out the parameters in which termination of pregnancy can be lawfully carried out in this country. Section 11 of the Act permits a termination of pregnancy to be carried out in cases where there is a condition present affecting the foetus that is likely to lead to the death of the foetus before or within 28 days of birth.”
He said that “Clinical guidelines for the provision of termination of pregnancy services, within the legal framework set out in the Health (Regulation of Termination in Pregnancy) Act 2018, have been developed by the relevant professional medical bodies.”
The Minister did not specify on any safeguards or measures that had been put in place to give any form of relief to babies who survive abortions.
He simply said that: “Medical practitioners are bound through professional regulatory mechanisms to operate in accordance with the best medical practise. There is regular ongoing engagement between the Department of Health and the HSE to facilitate the operation of the service and to resolve any issues that may arise.”
Pro-life organisation The Life Institute said that the Health Minister and the Irish Government’s response was “shocking” because it was “entirely and deliberately evasive, and also entirely lacking in compassion for the preborn child even though Minister Donnelly said he was aware of the study which contained such horrific.”
“Instead of being horrified and offering to investigate these deeply disturbing findings, Donnelly simply side-stepped the issue,” the pro-life group said. “It is political cowardice and evasiveness at its worth. Ultimately the buck stops with the Minister for Health. He needs to face up to this cruelty and take action.”
“It is absolutely insufficient and unacceptable that the Minister for Health and the Irish Government continually fail to show even a hint of compassion for babies born alive after failed abortions.
“This situation is unimaginable and the failure from the Health Minister and his government to put in place safeguards for these babies is an act of cruelty and indifference. Late-term abortions are truly barbaric and must be stopped. ”
“During the referendum, we were told that this scenario would never come to pass in Ireland – people were assured that late-term abortions would not take place, and that babies born alive after abortion would not be left struggling without care. In fact, pro-life people were called ‘liars’ for pointing out that this would happen. We know for a fact these grave human rights injustices are happening and action must be taken to stop these abuses.
“Our government must address these deeply troubling issues properly through engaging properly with those that are raising concerns and putting forward amendments to the legislation to deal with this in the way this dire situation demands.
“Three years on from the introduction of abortion, and our Government has failed to take action to bring forward humanitarian amendments,” the organisation said.
Doctors receiving training to perform ‘gruesome’ late-term abortions?
In his parliamentary questions put to the Minister for Health at the end of last month, Deputy Seán Canney also asked “if his attention has been drawn to the fact that doctors are receiving training in the way in which to perform dilation and evacuation abortions as mentioned in UCD research published in April 2021 in relation to the experiences of abortion providers since the law has changed; if dilation and evacuation abortions are currently taking place in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter.”
However, no response was given and a written answer read: “As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.”
In April, Gript reported that senior Irish doctors were being trained to perform late-term abortions, despite assurances in 2018 that the controversial abortion method known as Dilation and Evacuation would never be carried out here.
The study, which looked at ‘stigma’ experienced by abortion providers, noted that involvement in surgical methods of abortion may “drive stigma” and that “dilation and evacuation has also been suggested to be highly stigmatizing”.
However it also stated that while the procedure is not yet offered in Ireland, “senior trainees are undergoing international training in the procedure with a view to offering it in the future.”
Dilation and Evacuation is a gruesome late-term abortion method used for unborn babies up to 6 months gestation. The woman’s cervix is dilated and the baby is removed piece by piece using a combination of suction and curettes and forceps. The procedure can take up to 30 min, according to Human Reproductive Biology.
In utero care for babies in Ireland
Deputy Canney also asked the Minister for Health “if Irish hospitals perform surgery on unborn children for any conditions; and if so, if a list of the conditions and the location in which they are carried out will be provided.”
Specifically focusing on spina bifida, a condition which can be treated in the womb, the pro-life TD inquired whether or not “Irish hospitals perform surgery on unborn children with spina bifida; if so, the amount that has been allocated to in utero care for babies with spina bifida in Ireland.”
Both questions were addressed in an identical written answer, which did not give a direct reply and did not provide specifics.
Gript recently reported on the story of courageous Irish parents who refused to abort their baby diagnosed with spina bifida. Baby T. J.’s parents were told at their 30-week scan that their unborn daughter’s brain was so badly swollen she would have no quality of life, and that she was badly deformed.
“They told us that day that this is a very sick child. They told us to go home and think about going to England to terminate her,” mum Claire McDaid recalled.
The couple said that in their lived experience, there is vast room to improve when it comes to providing care for babies with the condition in Ireland.
“Ireland is very behind in spina bifida equipment and treatment so we have to go abroad,” she said. “We’ve only been to the physio three times, but I’ve been doing as much as I can with her and she’s coming on fine. […] In order for her to get the best chance at walking she needs more than what is available in Ireland.”
Welcoming the Galway TD’s input, the Pro-Life Campaign said Deputy Canney “deserves credit for raising this important issue with Stephen Donnelly and for demanding accountability.”
“In a dreadful display of indifference, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has refused to say what happens to babies that survive the abortion procedure and he dodged answering what he intends doing to ensure these babies are not abandoned and left alone to die without receiving any medical or palliative care,” they said.