A campaign against the proposed abortion amendment to the Constitution will be announced today by a new organisation made up largely of members of Youth Defence.
It is understood the group will not be urging a No vote at this stage, but will be seeking amendments to the proposal. It joins two other anti-abortion campaigners, the former High Court judge, Mr Justice Roderick O'Hanlon, and MEP Ms Dana Rosemary Scallon, in opposing the amendment as it stands.
The organisation, the Mother and Child Campaign, was set up last March on the ninth anniversary of the decision in the X case, where the Supreme Court ruled that abortion was permissible when the mother's life was in danger from the threat of suicide. Since then, it has posted large billboard advertisements opposing abortion.
According to its website, the Mother and Child Campaign (MCC) is "a new pro-life organisation, the focus of which will, quite naturally, be the defence of the right to life of both mother and child. It is in that sense a natural progression for members of Youth Defence, though it will encompass persons who have not been or are not members of Youth Defence".
Initially, the MCC welcomed the announcement of the proposed referendum, while stating: "It is not, however, possible for us to either endorse or reject the contents of the Bill at this stage." It said it would consult widely with legal and medical experts, as well as its own supporters, before coming to a conclusion.
That process is now over, and the organisation said yesterday: "The result of that wide consultation process was that the amendment proposal falls far short. In its current form, the wording proposed is in fact totally unacceptable from a genuinely pro-life perspective, and the attempt to foist it upon the Irish people as the only possibility on offer is a complete negation of the cherished principle in Article 6 of the Constitution, that all powers of Government derive from the people."
The statement continues: "The Mother and Child Campaign is left with no choice but to oppose the current proposal. We are nonetheless committed to playing a constructive role in the process and have no desire or inclination to be negative."
Last month, Mr O'Hanlon stated his opposition to the proposals on the grounds that they did not protect a fertilised egg prior to implantation. Earlier this month, Ms Scallon also announced her opposition, on similar grounds.