Dublin, Ireland, Dec 10, 2018 / 19:00 pm
A pro-life association of nurses and midwives in the Republic of Ireland is joining a growing number of concerned voices who say that many Irish medical professionals are unwilling to take part in abortions, and that the country is ill-prepared to begin offering abortion services starting Jan. 1, 2019.
"As nurses and midwives we echo the concerns of obstetricians and gynaecologists in relation to the rush to introduce abortion provision...We are the unheard voices in the health service," a Dec. 10 statement from the group Nurses & Midwives 4 Life Ireland reads.
"We have not been consulted and we will be directly impacted by the new legislation. We are worried about the impact this bill will have and the safety of women when we have not had any guidance from our professional body or our union."
The group is reacting to the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018, which would permit abortion services throughout the country. It passed the Irish House (Dáil Éireann) on Dec. 5 and is before the Senate (Seanad) for debate this week.