Sir, - I have seen an advertisement on a bus in Dublin which is not factually correct. It begins, "Abortion never saves a mother's life", and continues "it only kills babies" - or words to that effect.
Abortion, in medical terminology, is the termination of a pregnancy before the child is viable. A reading of the submissions on abortion made by the masters of the three Dublin maternity hospitals, as well as by others such as myself, to the all-party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution will show that the medical view is that abortion is needed to save the mother's life in a small number of cases. The report of the committee was published on November 15th 2000, if any one wants confirmation of the facts.
I have written to the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland and to Dublin Bus asking that the advertisement be withdrawn. It is a pity to see such a serious issue as a woman's life treated with such disregard for the truth. - Yours, etc.,
Senator Mary Henry MD, Seanad Eireann, Baile Atha Cliath 2.