Abortion campaign: Harris criticises No side over mental health claims

Minister for Health Simon Harris has said Catholic Church opposition to social change in this country needs to be challenged and scrutinised.

Speaking at an event for the Together for Yes campaign on Monday Mr Harris said he fully respects the Church’s right to express their opposition to abortion.

However, the Minister said he has disagreed with the Church’s view on this issue, on the matter of marriage equality, on contraception, on how they handled the Ferns report into allegations of sexual abuse, and how they resisted the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act.

“The Church are entitled to their view, absolutely entitled to express it but they should expect to be scrutinised on their record on the views they have had on other issues.

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“These were people actively campaigning from the pulpit against marriage equality, against Protection of Life During Pregnancy, against contraception. They are entitled to their view, I just fundamentally disagree with them,” Mr Harris said.

The Minister also criticised the No side in the referendum campaign for claiming the grounds of mental health will be abused by women to seek a termination.

Beyond 12 weeks, the Government’s plans allow for abortions when there is a risk of serious harm to the health of the mother.

Mr Harris said the same argument was made in 2013 when the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act was introduced and it was alleged women would seek abortions on the grounds of suicide.

“I notice those people who vigorously opposed the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act campaigned against it night and day.

“I notice some of them talking about the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act as if they are in favour of it.

“These are the same people who, if they had their way, there would not be a Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act and they are just allowed to forget about that now. A couple of years on, we just pretend they voted for it.”

Mr Harris said people have a right to know who the people who voted against Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act are and the claims they made.

“I thought we had come a long way in terms of destigmatising mental health in this country but it seems any time we want to talk about women’s’ bodies and crisis pregnancies, we go back to stigmatising mental health, we go back to ridiculing mental health as if it is not a real illness. It is appalling.”

The Minister was joined by the Masters of Dublin's two maternity hospital Dr Rhona Mahony and Professor Fergal Malone at event urging a Yes vote in the referendum this Friday.

Mr Malone, who is the master of the Rotunda Hospital, said current law means many doctors have to take time to consider the law before determining the best care for their patients.

Medical professionals opposed to the referendum, he said, are “by and large, retired doctors who are no longer in active practice” and not seeing the reality women face on a day-to day-basis.