by Steven Ertelt | Dublin, Ireland | LifeNews.com | 12/4/12 3:56 PM

Pushing back against the attempt by abortion campaigners to exploit the recent death of a pregnant woman to try to get Ireland to legalize abortions, as many as 10,000 pro-life people joined the Vigil for Life today in Dublin.

Caroline Simons, legal consultant with the Pro Life Campaign said the Irish government was not obliged to legislate for abortion because of the European Court of Human Rights ABC case.

“There is no such obligation,” she said. “All we are supposed to do is clarify our own position in relation to abortion here…We have one of the best maternal mortality rates in the world so abortion is never the answer. It is not going to save mothers lives and we don’t want to see it on our shores.”

The Vigil for Life on Kildare Street was promoted by pro-life groups like the Pro-Life Campaign and Youth Defence to respond to the debate over Savita and hold the Fine Gael party accountable over its pro-life pledge.

“It’s time the pro-life majority were heard. Enda needs to Keep his Pro-Life promise. Say NO to abortion in Ireland,” said Youth Defence in announcing the event. “Fine Gael and Labour are on the verge of legalising abortion. This may be the only chance we get to send a united message to the Government that the people of Ireland do not want abortion.”

“The vigil will be an opportunity to be a voice for both unborn babies and their mothers, and to ask Fine Gael to keep their pro-life promise. If abortion is legalised it will be too late to make your voice heard,” the group added.

As the pictures of the event show, hundreds of Irish people carried signs calling on Fine Gael not to buckle under pro-abortion lobbying pressure.

The event comes on the day following news that the pro-abortion reporter who broke the Savita story says the Indian woman may not have requested an abortion.

The Pro-Life campaign recently commented on Red C abortion poll some are using to press for abortion.

Responding to the Red C poll on abortion to be published in tomorrow’s Sunday Business Post, the Pro Life Campaign said the answers to the different questions are highly contradictory, and show the very high level of public confusion on the issue mainly to do with the distinction between necessary medical interventions in pregnancy and abortion.

The poll reveals that 85% support legislation for the X case, while 63% support a Constitutional amendment limiting the X ruling.

Dr Ruth Cullen of the Pro Life Campaign said:

“We welcome the high level of support for a Constitutional amendment to limit the X case. It is very apparent, however, from the findings overall, that there is huge confusion about the distinction between necessary medical treatments in pregnancy and abortion.

“The Minister for Health and other senior figures in Government bear much of the responsibility for this confusion. For example, they have abjectly failed to highlight the fact that abortion has never been shown to benefit women with mental health problems, indeed on the contrary, peer-reviewed studies show it places some women at greater risk. Given the misunderstandings that have been allowed to fester, it is not at all surprising that the findings appear so contradictory.

“In the coming weeks, as the debate continues, we are confident it will become clear that legislation for the X case would not in fact be restrictive but would involve wide-ranging abortion.”

More than 10,000 people assemble at Dáil Éireann on Tuesday, December 4th, to stand up for life, and to tell Fine Gael and Enda Kenny to keep their pro-life promise!

the pro life groups will need all the help they can get... with the likes of hilary clinton on our 9pm news, commenting on womens health, in a thinly veiled reference to poor savita's death, she is interfering in uor internal affairs, at a very fragile time in ireland, for unborns.... :cussing:

So that is 1% of the population of Dublin then.  A similar number turned up to protest for Abortion rights two weeks ago.

3 million protestors turned up in 2003 to protest the Iraq War and 2 million in London.

That is more than the entire population of Rome and 20% of the population of London.

God bless em, but 10,000 is not a good figure in a country that will soon have abortion legalised.

By DON LAVERY
Sunday December 16 2012
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Justice and Defence Minister Alan Shatter has refused to rule out Ireland buying more Israeli weapons – despite continuing controversy over its policy towards Gaza.

Ireland has spent over €14m on Israeli weapons in recent years despite UN claims that it committed war crimes during its previous invasion of Gaza, and the use of Irish passports by Israeli secret service as cover in murder and political assasination.

However, on Wednesday Mr Shatter said that the principle of competitive tendering for Government contracts has to be used by the Department of Defence for the acquisition of defensive equipment.

He told Sean Crowe of Sinn Fein that central to the procedures was the requirement to allow fair competition between suppliers after tenders are advertised on the e-tenders website or the European Defence Agency's electronic bulletin board.

"Such tender competitions are open to any individual company or country in accordance with the terms of all UN, OSCE, and EU arms embargos or restrictions. "There are no such restrictions or embargoes in place on Israel or Israeli companies," Mr Shatter said.

The Israeli arms industry has done well in securing conracts in Ireland.

In one of the more recent successes a company based in Haifa, Elbit Systems Ltd, won a multi-million euro contract to supply surveillance equipment for a new fleet of RG-32M armoured vehicles built in South Africa.

Others included the purchase of a small fleet of Israeli Orbiter unmanned aerial vehicles – spy planes – for €780,000 used by the Army in Chad and by the Army Ranger Wing.

The elite special forces unit also uses the Israeli developed Cornershot, which allows a weapon to be fired around corners.

Another Israeli company, Rabintex Industries Ltd, won a €2.5m competition to supply 12,000 helmets, a success trumpeted in a newsletter from the Israeli embassy in Dublin.

The country also supplied Ireland with an artillery fire control system valued at €1.5m, while two orders were placed with Israeli Military Industries in 2005 for 5.56mm ammunition for the Army's Steyr Aug rifles.

However, after the use of false Irish passports by an assassination squad from Mossad, Israel lost out on multi-million euro contracts to supply more then 20 million bullets to the Defence Forces.

The lucrative series of deals, in one case worth up to €3m for the supply of 10 million bullets in a single tender, instead went to Belgium and other countries.

- DON LAVERY

Faber est quisque fortunae suae. Of course, a Latin scholar like Colm Keaveney will be familiar with the saying from the writings of Appius Claudius Caecus, roughly translating as: "Every man is the architect of his own fortune."

The Galway East TD has decided to shape his fortunes outside the parliamentary party as he can't stand over the social welfare cuts in the Budget.

Mr Keaveney had the conviction to follow through on his expressions of dissatisfaction and walk on a point of principle.

His election as chairman at the Labour conference was widely viewed as a real two-fingered gesture to the party leadership from the grassroots.

He fended off the challenge of candidates regarded as more palatable to the party hierarchy so his election was a sign Labour members want the party's identity to be more strongly promoted within the Coalition.

Mr Keaveney can legitimately argue his mandate comes from the ordinary party members to represent the Labour voice – not the Government's stance.

This is another embarrassing loss for Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore, who has now lost five Labour TDs from the Coalition. Though he won't be shedding many tears.

Mr Keaveney quickly developed a reputation as an outspoken voice and was a thorn in his leader's side.

There may be more to follow. Mr Keaveney's departure really ups the ante for those who have been mouthing off on the Budget – most notably Senator John Whelan.

After such trenchant criticism in the past week of the party he joined a little over two years ago, it's time for the senator to put up and shut up or take the walk to the opposition.

Mr Gilmore fired a broadside at those from his party who have walked away from the Coalition last night.

"We are either shaping the solution, or we are watching it from across the lobby."

Following a difficult day, where Labour had to bite hard and do the previously unthinkable, the party can rightly be resolute after taking such difficult choices. Mr Gilmore could have added: Tu ne cede malis sed contra audentior ito.

"Yield not to misfortunes, but advance all the more boldly against them."

Irish Independent