A chara, - The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has singled out Ireland, Malta and Poland for failure to decriminalise abortion. Will they ever come to see that the very first of all human rights (which they should be upholding) is the right to life - and that legalising abortion is denying that basic human right? This is intolerable arrogance on their part and they should be told so.
We have surrendered enough of our hard-won independence to Europe already. Eighty per cent of our laws now come from Brussels. In the coming Lisbon Treaty referendum the answer from Ireland must be a firm and unequivocal "No"! If we fail in this, it will be, as Pears,e said, "A clann féin do dhíol a máthair" ("Her own children have sold their mother".
Let this not happen. - Is mise,
Fr TOM INGOLDSBY SDB,
Salesian College,
Pallaskenry,
Co Limerick.