Call to Action- Government Spin doesn’t Reflect the Real Reduction in Special Education Allocations

It’s not necessary to start a rant about Fine Gael and Labour. You are encouraged to support these demonstrations.

http://www.specialneedsparents.ie/call-to-action-government-spin-doesnt-reflect-the-real-reduction-in-resource-teaching-allocations/#.Uci-FtI3tdc

Call to Action

The Special Needs Parents Association is calling all parents to attend demonstrations next Wednesday 26th June

No Supports, No Education, No Future

6pm outside Leinster House, Kildare Street

5pm outside City Hall, Limerick

6pm outside Department of Education & Skills, Athlone

5pm St. Patrick’s Bridge, Cork City

6pm Eyre Square, Galway

6pm The Clock Tower, Boyle, Roscommon

6pm Market Square, Letterkenny, Donegal

10:30 outside Clare FM, Francis St. Ennis, Clare

6pm Market Yard, Carrick on Shannon, Leitrim

6pm Enda Kenny’s Constituency Office, Tucker St. Castlebar

Yet again it is time to Fight Back!

The Spin

“Within the education budget, my focus has been on protecting those who are most vulnerable. There will be no reductions in the overall number of Special Needs Assistants (SNA) or Resource Teachers in this budget.” Minister Ruairi Quinn Budget Statement December 2012.

The Reality

Since 2010, there has been a decrease of 15% in the specialist teaching hours allocated to all children with more moderate to severe levels of special needs, with a further 10% cut to those essential teaching hours expected from September. “This is a direct attack on the educational provisions that are essential for children struggling through mainstream, in keeping with the Department of Education and NCSE’s policy of promoting Inclusion in education. With an increase of over 8,000 pupils with special needs requiring resource hours since 2011, you can’t have it both ways. Either provide children with the essential supports in mainstream to fulfill their potential or admit that the policy of Inclusion in our education system is based on rhetoric and is aspirational but not a priority for Government” stated Lorraine Dempsey, Chairperson of the Special Needs Parents Association.

Putting this cut into context for a child with autism, in 2010 they would have received 5 hours of resource teaching every week which will be reduced to 3 hours 45 minutes this September. This also includes time getting to and from the classroom, so the actual teaching time is much less than prescribed by the NCSE.

For the past few years, we have had to listen to the Minister for Education telling parents how he has done everything to ring fence the budget for special needs. The reality is that we have an ever increasing population of children in mainstream schools who need a higher level of educational support particularly at secondary level and we have not prepared for the future and present needs of these children.

Children are being excluded for school by only being allowed to attend for only 1-3 hours per day. Children are being suspended and expelled because some schools can no longer meet their needs in mainstream, but there is no where else for them to go as waiting lists for special schools grow longer each year. Children are being discriminated against because they may have siblings with disabilities that all qualify for July Provision that can only take place in the home. If they were attending school based July Provision, they would have two SNAs per class to assist the teacher. At home, they get no extra support and reduced hours overall under the new administration of the scheme this year.

Ms. Dempsey added “What we are creating is a bigger problem down the line for future governments and budgets when we pursue such shortsighted cuts. If you over-fill a passenger ferry, you risk sinking the whole ship. It’s up to us parents to take a stand on this issue, our futures depend on it”

STOP

For further comment email info@specialneedsparents.ie or phone 0877741917

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‘Doctors advised abortion – I'm glad I said no’, reveals mum.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/doctors-advised-abortion-im-glad-i-said-no-reveals-mum-29257563.html

Jennifer Kehoe with her daughter Louise (3) at home in Naas

CLAIRE MURPHY – 10 MAY 2013

A MUM was advised by her doctor to “travel to England” for a termination because of her baby’s foetal anomaly.

She was told her foetus had a life-threatening congenital heart defect and a rare brain disorder – and would have little chance of surviving outside the womb.

But little Louise Kehoe, now three years old, defied the odds.

Today, adoring mum Jennifer tells of how she and her husband felt “judged” for not choosing abortion – and how happy they are that they didn’t.

Jennifer and John Kehoe were told that their baby had little chance of survival outside the womb.

If she survived, her quality of life would be diminished.

But Jennifer said that, if they had gone ahead with the termination, they would never have experienced how their “delightful little girl” would “blow us away with love”.

The Kehoes’ daughter was diagnosed in the womb with a life-threatening congenital brain malformation called Dandy-Walker Syndrome and a heart defect.

As soon as the abnormality was identified, the couple said their obstetrician immediately offered to write them a letter to ‘go to England' and have a termination.

Jennifer and John, a GP, say that they were “advised to have an abortion by an Irish obstetrician on the grounds of foetal anomaly”, but are eternally thankful that they decided against.

“The very first thing our obstetrician suggested was, ‘Go to England'. We decided against that and to give our daughter a shot at life, however long or short that might be,” Jennifer said.

Louise (3) has now come through three heart operations, her cognitive development is normal and she is expected to lead a long and normal life.

fluid

However, Jennifer, who is now a mum of six, said that she and her husband felt “judged and punished” for deciding not to abort their baby.

“The very first thing that was said to us by the obstetrician was: ‘A lot of people would go to England'. And then there was a pause,” Jennifer told the Herald.

“Abortion would have been so far off from what we were thinking so we were so shocked.”

Jennifer was 42. The couple decided to have an amniocentesis or amniotic fluid test to check for chromosomal abnormalities.

“I had loads of miscarriages since the last baby – we had five children and the youngest was six,” Jennifer said.

“Abortion was never ever what we were thinking of, not even for the single flicker of a second.”

Jennifer from Naas, Kildare, said that once the diagnosis was outlined to her, she began to grieve for her unborn child.

“I said to John, ‘I hope that the baby dies soon' so that I could start the grief process.

“But about a day later I started to hope that the baby would get to 24 weeks, so she could get a birth cert. During this time we were handed a card for a bereavement

councillor and quite quickly after that I said ‘I want this baby to live, no matter what.'

“If we had made an appointment for England there and then, we wouldn't have had the chance to come to the third point in the thought process – that we would do anything to save our baby.”

The amniocentesis identified that there was no chromosome abnormality.

“It was only then that we got to see a cardiologist,” Jennifer said.

The Kehoes do not wish to name the hospital where the advice was given. But Jennifer wanted to tell her story to inform parents of their options when they are given information about terminations.

“Whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, it is about the pressure that doctors put on you to make a decision,” she said. “The choice isn't being given.

“Doctors are pressuring people to go to England if there is a foetal abnormality and then punishing them if they don't make that decision.

“I think it was a eugenic attitude, that people who are disabled are a drain on resources.

“When the cardiologist saw us, he was the first one to call her a baby and said, ‘I give this baby a very good prognosis'. I found that much harder to get over, that she wasn't treated like a baby.

“I always remember the very last thing that was said to us by the obstetrician on the last day, ‘50pc mortality by age five, John.'“

Dandy Walker Syndrome affects one in 2,500 babies born and can severely impact brain development, speech and movement. Symptoms include slow motor development and progressive enlargement of the skull.

But Louise has none of these problems. She faced serious heart operations, but pulled through each one stronger than ever.

“If some of the babies have a strange chromosome deletion, there is no way of knowing how the baby will turn out.

“Louise is completely normal, she has this heart condition and she will be monitored all her life.

“We would never have known that Louise was about to defy all predictions, that she was about to defy her genes and that she would grow into a delightful little girl who has reached all her milestones with time to share,” she added.

The mum-of-six acknowledges that she is firmly pro-life and doesn't agree with abortion “in any circumstance”.

“To take an innocent human life is always wrong,” she said.

fighting

“We didn't know at the end of the day what the brain was going to be or if she was going to be seriously disabled.

“But when I see Louise now, the amount of people whose lives she had touched: everyone loved her before she was born.”

And she believes that Louise was the making of their family. “The eldest is 17 in June but for all of the children to see Louise fighting to live, to see how people have taken her on, I see a difference in them.”

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The Mood Of The Irish People!

An excellent comment.

http://namawinelake.wordpress.com/2013/04/18/hey-world-if-you-want-to-see-what-a-true-nanny-state-looks-like-look-at-what-ireland-has-just-done/#comments

“I am shocked that there are no bullets flying yet. Seriously. Bankers DESTROY the economy. Utterly – to the point, over twelve THOUSAND companies have folded since Fine Gael took over. Over 180 thousand people have emigrated – that’s famine levels – since Fine Gael and Labor stuck their collective bits into the public orifice.

And yet. Bankers – and the politicians that got us into this mess – still drive around in posh cars. Still get million euro bonuses in some cases, quarter-million yearly incomes or more in others. Still are not prosecuted and jailed. And yet, because we are bailing out these animals – by force, let it not be confused here, you are held over a barrel while your family suffers to bail these corrupt monsters out – families cannot afford to keep their loans up.

We are paying the shortfall. There is no evidence provided to this date that our taxes are NOT paying the shortfall that our loans take up. So why should we take the slack? Why should my family suffer because a wealthy banker wanted their miserable little grub-sucker children to go to the top private schools, while mine cannot even get the education I pay taxes to obtain?!?

Where are the bullets? Where are the angry mobs surrounding banker and politician homes, demanding blood and bone? We are so conditioned that our ancestors are weeping in their graves.

One word for you bast-rds. NO. Or NO. And NO.”

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"Homeowners Cannot Expect to Stay in Houses"

Via email

If You were not aware of this before ... then you are now. John Moran from the Department of Finance has stated quite categorically that "HOMEOWNERS Cannot Expect to Stay in Houses" ...he/they the State and the Puppet Government WILL BE making the People of this Island & that includes the much maligned "Tax Payer" HOMELESS ...

You cannot and should NOT ignore this ...  JOHN MORAN is attacking and threatening all of us with destitution.

This is the clipping from the "Irish Indo." today ... You will be turfed out on the street, and the Department of Finance, the State and the Puppet Government support these actions by the Banks and Revenue.

Tax Payers Are Next ...

In this artice John Moran is trying to discriminate between Tax Payers and Non-Tax Payers ... whereas, if you look at this logically and critically ... he is in fact telling all of the People Tax Payer on not ... YOU ARE going to lose your home, and John Moran does not care a fig

WE ALL need to learn to legally and lawfully deal with this one way or another.

Our next event is on: Sat. 16th. March

Location & Venue: Dublin - The Louis Fitzgerald Hotel, Naas Road, Dublin.

Time: 2pm sharp to 4pm.

Parking: Free and Secure.

Cost: Your Time & Effort.

Ref: www.AttackTheTax.com/

www.TheCommonLawSociety.com/

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Protecting yourself,your family and property!

With the right to private property enshrined in the Irish constitution this short post looks at the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1997/en/act/pub/0026/sec0018.html#sec18

18.—(1) The use of force by a person for any of the following purposes, if only such as is reasonable in the circumstances as he or she believes them to be, does not constitute an offence—

(a) to protect himself or herself or a member of the family of that person or another from injury, assault or detention caused by a criminal act; or

(b) to protect himself or herself or (with the authority of that other) another from trespass to the person; or

(c) to protect his or her property from appropriation, destruction or damage caused by a criminal act or from trespass or infringement; or

(d) to protect property belonging to another from appropriation, destruction or damage caused by a criminal act or (with the authority of that other) from trespass or infringement; or

(e) to prevent crime or a breach of the peace.

(2) “use of force” in subsection (1) is defined and extended by section 20 .

(3) For the purposes of this section an act involves a “crime” or is “criminal” although the person committing it, if charged with an offence in respect of it, would be acquitted on the ground that—

(a) he or she was under 7 years of age; or

(b) he or she acted under duress, whether by threats or of circumstances; or

(c) his or her act was involuntary; or

(d) he or she was in a state of intoxication; or

(e) he or she was insane, so as not to be responsible, according to law, for the act.

(4) The references in subsection (1) to protecting a person and property from anything include protecting the person or property from its continuing; and the reference to preventing crime or a breach of the peace shall be similarly construed.

(5) For the purposes of this section the question whether the act against which force is used is of a kind mentioned in any of the paragraphs (a) to (e) of subsection (1) shall be determined according to the circumstances as the person using the force believes them to be.

(6) Notwithstanding subsection (1), a person who believes circumstances to exist which would justify or excuse the use of force under that subsection has no defence if he or she knows that the force is used against a member of the Garda Síochána acting in the course of the member's duty or a person so assisting such member, unless he or she believes the force to be immediately necessary to prevent harm to himself or herself or another.

(7) The defence provided by this section does not apply to a person who causes conduct or a state of affairs with a view to using force to resist or terminate it:

But the defence may apply although the occasion for the use of force arises only because the person does something he or she may lawfully do, knowing that such an occasion will arise.

(8) Property shall be treated for the purposes of subsection (1) (c) and (d) as belonging to any person—

(a) having the custody or control of it;

(b) having in it any proprietary right or interest (not being an equitable interest arising only from an agreement to transfer or grant an interest); or

(c) having a charge on it;

and where property is subject to a trust, the persons to whom it belongs shall be treated as including any person having a right to enforce the trust.

Property of a corporation sole shall be treated for the purposes of the aforesaid provisions as belonging to the corporation notwithstanding a vacancy in the corporation.

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No to a Tax on the Family Home!

Shelter is  basic in life and there should be no tax on the family home. Thought and Action opposes a property tax. The family home doesn’t generate wealth.

http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/property-mortgages/revenue-to-decide-value-of-homes-for-property-tax-3343775.html

By Fiach Kelly Political Correspondent

Monday January 07 2013

THE Revenue will tell every homeowner in the country how much it thinks their home is worth -- and how much they should pay in property tax -- in letters to be distributed within weeks.

The notices to be sent out shortly will tell homeowners the "indicative value" that the Revenue puts on their home.

While owners will still be able to self-assess, those who deviate from the provided estimates face the prospect of checks, inspections and challenges from the Revenue.

The details come amid concerns over people deliberately undervaluing their homes or "price fixing" to save on their property tax bills.

The indicative values are also being compiled to help Revenue target those who boycott the charge or who fail to register.

In these cases, the Revenue will go ahead and use its own value to levy the tax. "We need a figure to be able to enforce," a spokeswoman said.

The Irish Independent has learned that letters to be sent out in March will give homeowners an individual price the Revenue believes their home to be worth, which will take into account where they live.

If the Revenue's valuation is used by a homeowner, they will not be challenged in future.

However, estimates straying from the Revenue's own "property specific" values are more likely to be inspected and challenged, leading to possible fines and penalties.

Leeway will be given for the condition of the property, or improvements carried out on a house, which could push the price up or down.

The taxman is currently compiling a database of every home in the country to provide the estimated value of each property.

Revenue is trawling through "third party details" like stamp duty records, electricity bills, rental details and records from the controversial €100 household charge to figure out the size and value of every home.

Revenue says it initially expects to only challenge a small number of cases, since its initial focus will be to make "sure the register is as complete as possible".

But as the register develops, there is expected to be a tighter focus on checking for discrepancies in the valuations of homes countrywide.

The property tax will be levied at a rate of 0.18pc of house value, with a higher "mansion tax" rate of 0.25pc on the value of a house over €1m. There will be up to 19 different valuation bands, starting at under €100,000 and increasing in €50,000 tranches.

The mid-point is taken on each band, and the 0.18pc is applied to that figure to calculate tax owed.

Dublin city dwellers are likely to pay an average property tax of €405, compared with their rural counterparts who will pay an average of €249.

"Revenue is developing a database of houses using third-party information," a spokeswoman said. "This will mean that an indicative property value will be available."

Guidelines on how to value your house and figure out how much you will pay will be sent out by the Revenue in March.

Those posting their returns have been given a deadline of May 7, with a deadline of May 28 set for online returns.

The tax kicks in from July 1, and only a half year is payable for 2013, with a full year's tax payable from 2014 onwards. The Revenue spokeswoman confirmed that those who did not register would be liable for the tax regardless, at the value set by the Revenue.

"Each return sent out by Revenue will include a notice of the 'Revenue estimate' of the tax due.

Where the liable person does not submit a return, the Revenue estimate will become payable by default," the spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that the first-time buyer's exemption from the new property tax will be available to married couples, even if one spouse already owns a house.

Any first-time buyers who purchase a house before the end of the year are entitled to a waiver from property tax until 2016.

Editorial comment

- Fiach Kelly Political Correspondent

Irish Independent

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McGrath Questions “Indecent Haste” On Abortion Hearings

It’s ironic that it is the committee on health and children who will meet to discuss legislating for abortion. On the 19th January, a Unite for Life vigil is taking place in Dublin. The vast majority of Irish people oppose abortion.

http://www.tipperarystar.ie/news/local/mcgrath-questions-indecent-haste-on-abortion-hearings-1-4640773#.UObaDdSG3OI.twitter

Published on Thursday 3 January 2013 14:44

Independent TD Mattie McGrath who is a member of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children has expressed his concern at the “Indecent haste” at which the Health Committee appears to be dealing with the hearings into the Government’s decision to legislate for abortion.

The Committee is to hold three days of hearings on 8, 9 and 10 January 2013 following the decision by Government to proceed to address the issues raised in the ABC judgement with legislation and regulations, within the parameters of Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court and the purpose of the meetings is to gather information which will be of assistance to Government in the drafting of the Heads of Bill following its decision. However Deputy McGrath has expressed his concern at the indecent haste and lack of information about the process.

“The Committee is to hear contributions from experienced medical practitioners, legal experts, representatives of churches and religious groups and from advocacy groups; however, just days before the hearings are to begin I am still waiting for information on who will address the Committee” Said Deputy McGrath.

“I have requested this information and have been informed that it may be made available on Friday before we meet on Monday and the Christmas break has been cited as a reason for this lack of information. My question is why the indecent haste? We knew that there was a break when the Hearing dates were set and I just do not think that it is reasonable that we still do not know who will address the Committee days before the hearings begin.”

Deputy McGrath has also expressed concern that the Committee are being pressured into dealing with this issue at an inappropriate pace and has said that the autonomy of the Committee must be protected.

“This is a very serious matter and we need time to get this right and we need to ensure that there is balance. I submitted a list of groups/ representatives that I would like to address the Committee to ensure that there is balance and I still do not know whether these people have been invited to the hearings. We are being led by the nose and we have no proper information. Acting at such haste will have dire consequences and it is wholly inappropriate,” said Mr. McGrath.

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Vigil for Life 19th January 2013 in Dublin

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Irish women obtaining abortions in UK

A new investigation and research. See below.

http://www.symposiummaternalhealth.com/no-abortions-carried-out-on-irish-women-to-save-the-life-of-the-mother-since-1992-uk-figures-reveal/

Written by Administrator

December 14, 2012 at 11:13 am

Not one Irish woman has had an abortion in the UK in order to save her life since 1992, new research from the Committee for Excellence in Maternal Healthcare  (CEMH) has shown.

A response to a freedom of information request by the Committee to the British Department of Health shows that, between 1992 and 2010, no abortions were carried out on Irish women under section F of the UK Abortion Act, which requires records to be kept of abortions that were carried out to “save the life of the mother”.

Further, the same data shows that no abortions were carried out on Irish women between 1992 and 2010 under Section G of the same Act, which requires records to be kept of abortions conducted to “prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman”.

Commenting on the data for CEMH, Dr Eoghan de Faoite said:

“This data makes clear what Irish women have known all along – they do not have to leave Ireland to seek abortions if their life is in danger. In fact, not one abortion has been carried out to save an Irish woman’s life since the X case, despite the frequent and misleading claims of those who  support the provision of  induced abortion.

“As the Dublin Declaration, issued following the International Symposium on Maternal Health, confirmed: ‘the prohibition of abortion does not affect, in any way, the availability of optimal care to pregnant women’. ”

“Further, the data makes clear that not one single abortion has been carried out on an Irish woman in the UK to protect her from grave permanent injury to her physical or mental health”.

“The results of this investigation are hugely significant for the government at this current time. Policy makers must be aware of the facts revealed by the official British records which show that abortions are not being carried out on Irish women in order to save their lives.

“Irish women will not be surprised by these figures. Pregnancy is not a disease and abortion is not a cure. The oft-repeated claim that Irish women are travelling for so-called ‘life-saving’ abortions are shown to be false and without foundation. The truth is that British statistics show not a single life saved by an abortion in 20 years,” he added.

What we do know from the British experience is that in 2010, 66 children were born as a result of botched abortions in the United Kingdom and left to die. This is not a record to emulate in regard to human rights, or maternal health.

These figures make absolutely clear that Irish women are not traveling to Britain from Ireland to procure abortions in order to save their lives. Excellence in Maternal Healthcare should strive to obtain the best possible outcome for both mother and baby.

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Taoiseach promises there will be no surge in home repossessions as loophole closed

2012 has been a significant year for those defending the family home.

http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/property-mortgages/taoiseach-promises-there-will-be-no-surge-in-home-repossessions-as-loophole-closed-3324502.html

“By Fionnan Sheahan Political Editor

Wednesday December 12 2012

TAOISEACH Enda Kenny said there will not be a "rash of house repossessions" as a result of the Government’s promise to remove a legal loophole preventing banks taking properties.

The Government has promised the EU-IMF bailout team to end the loophole.

Mr Kenny said the coalition has “no intention of having a rash of house repossessions”.

Public Spending Minister Brendan Howlin said it was a “priority” of the Government to ensure “families maintain the family home”.

“It will remain the objective of the Government,” he said at the launch of the IPA Administration Yearbook and Diary for 2013.

Mr Howlin said the Personal Insolvency Bill will be in place to allow families to reschedule debt.

“I don’t expect, in truth, any mass repossessions of houses, certainly for family homes, next year,” he said.

- Fionnan Sheahan Political Editor”

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Local Property Tax

With Phil Hogan summoned to the High Court, this is an excellent little piece, on the property tax. There should be no tax on the family home.

http://namawinelake.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/of-the-week-40/

Of the Week…

December 8, 2012 by namawinelake

Scratchcard Economics of the Week

There is growing unease about the Government’s calculation of yield from the property tax. Not only was there no obvious cognizance taken of the existing €160m household charge or the €70 Non Principal Private Residence in Budget 2013 workings – you’d expect the  non-continuance of these two taxes to be shown alongside the €250m to be raised from the property tax in 2013 and the €500m in 2014. After all, if there is not to be any household charge or NPPR in 2014, then you would need deduct €230m from the €500m and in 2013, deduct €160m from the €250m.

There doesn’t seem to be any great foundation to the estimate of yield for property tax, which is strange given the expert report was on Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Phil Hogan’s desk since June 2012.

Seems like the Government has committed to a measure but will only know how much it will bring in, at the end of 2013. Kinda like buying a scratch card and only afterwards finding out if you have won anything.

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Family Conference near Boston, Kentucky

Do click on the link for the conference flyer and more details.

http://www.inthissignyoushallconquer.com/

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No Tax on a Family Home!

No to a property tax!

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A newborn baby!

Life is precious.

https://www.facebook.com/PreciousLife.Ireland

“THIS IS A LIVE BABY, BORN WITHOUT THE MOTHER'S "WATER" BEING BROKEN FIRST!
It's a newborn, still in the sac. I thought it was an amazing opportunity to see something so rare. Like a glimpse of what it's like "on the inside". Hope you all appreciate it as much as I do. I can't believe how squished up they are, inside of it! Amazing!”

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Fine Gael tearing itself apart over abortion law

Innocent human  lives are torn apart during an abortion. No to the intentional killing of our future generation. Abortion is murder.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/fine-gael-tearing-itself-apart-over-abortion-law-3308006.html

By Fionnan Sheahan, Fiach Kelly and Lise Hand

Tuesday November 27 2012

FINE Gael is tearing itself apart over the threat of suicide being grounds for abortion – as a shadow is cast over the expert advice given to the Government on the issue.

A respected member of the expert group on abortion resigned last summer, but her departure was never disclosed by Health Minister James Reilly.

A leading family doctors' representative, Dr Ailis Ni Riain, was one of two GPs on the expert group, but she left the group in unexplained circumstances in May. Dr Ni Riain was to the forefront of research into crisis pregnancies and post-abortion counselling.

Her resignation only came to light last night, as tensions mount in Fine Gael over abortion, with the risk of suicide as a grounds for a termination becoming the new battleground.

Party ministers and TDs told the Irish Independent they have a concern about the threat of suicide being used as a pretext for obtaining an abortion where there is not actually any psychological risk to the mother.

The stance puts Fine Gael A respected member of the expert group on abortion resigned last summer, but her departure was never disclosed by Health Minister James Reilly.

A leading family doctors' representative, Dr Ailis Ni Riain, was one of two GPs on the expert group, but she left the group in unexplained circumstances in May. Dr Ni Riain was to the forefront of research into crisis pregnancies and post-abortion counselling.

Her resignation only came to light last night, as tensions mount in Fine Gael over abortion, with the risk of suicide as a grounds for a termination becoming the new battleground.

Party ministers and TDs told the Irish Independent they have a concern about the threat of suicide being used as a pretext for obtaining an abortion where there is not actually any psychological risk to the mother.

The stance puts Fine Gael on a collision course with the Labour Party but also throws up a contradiction with the law as set out under the X Case.

Some TDs even believe there should be a referendum to resolve the issue, although they accept this is highly unlikely.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny gave his strongest indication yet that Fine Gael will not put up with a liberal abortion regime – because the vast majority of the public don't want abortion available on demand.

Mr Kenny also firmly ruled out any free vote in the Dail for Fine Gael backbenchers, which is causing a difficulty for many of his TDs.

Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar last night supported the Taoiseach's that decision – although he did concede that abortion is potentially the most divisive issue within Fine Gael.

To further complicate the matter, Dr Reilly has to explain why a member of the group resigned. That Dr Ni Riain's resignation only came to light last night, on the eve of the publication of the report, raises questions over why Dr Reilly didn't publicly disclose her departure.

The expert group was dogged by controversy over the delays in its completion amid speculation of disputes among its members.

Dr Ni Riain is a long-serving and prominent member of the Irish College of General Practitioners, where she previously served as Women's Health Director and Director of Advocacy and Professional Competence.

She was previously a member of several state boards, including the National Cancer Screening Programme.

Dr Ni Riain was unavailable for comment and the minister's spokesman said he was "unaware" of the reasons behind the resignation.

Meanwhile, the Government will discuss the report today. A fortnight ago, before the Savita Halappanavar case, the debate was over whether there would be new laws or not, but the frontline has now moved on to what criteria will be included.

"I don't think there is any problem in Fine Gael with passing legislation to protect the life of the mother. It's suicide that's the problem," a minister said.

Reservations

Fine Gael sources say there are up to 20 TDs in the party who would have reservations about where the line is drawn on granting permission for an abortion.

"How do you decide someone is going to commit suicide? We all accept the need for legislation and regulation, but where do you draw the line on some-

one coming out and saying they are suicidal? That is my biggest fear, that this will result in widespread abortion in years to come," another minister said.

The Coalition will today discuss and publish a report by an expert group on abortion, which indicates new laws will need to be passed.

Growing numbers of Fine Gael ministers and TDs accept new laws will be needed to clarify where a termination is needed to protect the life of the mother.

Under the X Case ruling by the Supreme Court, the threat of suicide is a reason to grant an abortion – and this is backed up the Government's expert group report. Labour's official policy is also to legislate for the X Case.

Mr Kenny says the vast majority of people now accept the Government has to deal with the abortion question – but don't want it available on demand.

In the clearest expression of his views on the contentious issue to date, Mr Kenny said "legal certainty" was needed for the medical profession.

The Taoiseach said the Government would "deal with" the report, adding: "We need to provide for legal certainty and for circumstances from a medic's perspective to deal with this.

"We will deal with it, don't ask me for a specific date, I don't envisage this drifting along interminably. I'd like to deal with it as soon as it's practicable to do so."

Health Minister Dr James Reilly said: "This is not an issue that I will leave behind me as Minister for Health."

- Fionnan Sheahan, Fiach Kelly and Lise Hand

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“Expert Group” and Abortion

Many people saw the heavily pregnant Sinead Redmond speak at a rally agitating for abortion in Ireland. She is in her eight month of pregnancy. Many atheists and anti Catholic people are agitating for abortion on demand in Ireland. What has been discussed is the Irish constitution and in particular the preamble. These atheists take the time to make war on God, to renounce him, to mock him, to keep him out of society.

The common good in society is certainly not abortion on demand or any intentional killing of the unborn child in designated ‘clinics’. The preamble of our constitution is worth reading and sharing.

 

 

In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom
is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all
actions both of men and States must be referred,

We, the people of Éire,

Humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our
Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, Who sustained our
fathers through centuries of trial,

Gratefully remembering their heroic and
unremitting struggle to regain the rightful
independence of our Nation,

And seeking to promote the common good, with
due observance of Prudence, Justice and Charity,
so that the dignity and freedom of the individual
may be assured, true social order attained, the
unity of our country restored, and concord
established with other nations,

Do hereby adopt, enact, and give to ourselves this
Constitution.

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‘Legalize abortion now!’: The whole world is baying for the blood of Irish children

Firstly, many thanks to the alternative media, the real free press that Belloc wrote of. True to form RTE and others have been disgusting. An excellent article here from Hilary White.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/the-whole-world-is-baying-for-the-blood-of-irish-children

BY HILARY WHITE

ROME, November 16, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – At LifeSiteNews.com, we like to report facts. Things that are actually happening, that people are actually doing and saying. Speculation on things that might be happening, or things that might have happened, is a realm for irresponsible tabloids and the leftist gutter press. Which is why I was hesitant to produce a piece talking any further about the case in Ireland that is arousing passions around the globe.

But I dive in because it seems as if the whole world has suddenly fallen into a frenzy to murder Irish children. I’ll say it again, just so we’re clear: the calls for legalisation of abortion in Ireland, always carefully framed in the media and parliaments as a matter of “women’s rights,” is a call for the unrestricted slaughter of innocent children.

Having got the basic facts of the argument clear, perhaps we can look at the details. We know that a young mother died on October 28th in University Hospital, Galway after she came in presenting symptoms of miscarriage. The hospital has said she died a few days later of septicaemia. At some point, exactly when is unclear, the woman’s husband went to the press, or perhaps the abortion lobbyists, and said that the hospital and the country’s laws, “Catholic ethos” and medical antipathy towards abortion caused his wife’s death.

All else after that is carefully couched around in journalistic disclaimers like “reportedly” and “…he alleged.” Meanwhile, the bereaved husband, in-laws and parents of the young mother have retreated to India and are demanding that Ireland liberalise its abortion laws. This demand is being joined by the Indian Ambassador to Ireland, the legalisation-pushers in Ireland’s parliament, the secular media and professional abortion lobbyists, as well as, perhaps most strangely, the official opposition party of India, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.

This despite the fact – as has been pointed out several times in editorials, press releases, blog posts and hundreds of comments boxes both Catholic and non-Catholic – that abortion is not a medical treatment for either miscarriage or for severe systemic infections and no one has any idea whether Savita Halappanavar really wanted an abortion, or whether “early induction” of labour would have saved her life.

Indeed, one doctor in India has pointed out that abortion in such a case would probably have only hastened Savita’s death. Gynaecologist Hema Divakar, resident-elect of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), has told The Hindu, “Based on information in the media, in that situation of septicaemia, if the doctors had meddled with the live baby, Savita would have died two days earlier.”

In response to the media frenzy the Irish government has launched an investigation –  giving the family first say as to what is and is not investigated and made public – and has said that nothing will be decided until the full facts of the case have been made clear. Galway University Hospital is already conducting an internal investigation and the Health Service Executive’s investigation will be joined by an independent external expert in obstetrics and gynaeocology.

So far the story makes a modicum of sense, but quite a bit of the rest of it does not add up.

Ireland’s Minister for Health, Dr. James Reilly, has said he is in possession of facts that cannot at this time be revealed, but that he has no evidence that the “Catholic ethos” of Ireland or the hospital prevented Savita from receiving proper medical treatment.

Even pro-life advocates have pointed out that the current law and medical guidance include the possibility of abortion in the “rare” cases where the woman’s life may be endangered. The University Hospital would certainly have known this, it being the standard of gynecological care throughout the country. Indeed, I was told today by a reliable Irish source that on the gynecological staff at that hospital is at least one “rabid” pro-abortion doctor who would certainly have made sure that this would have happened had it been medically possible. Eilís Mulroy has written in The Irish Independent, under the headline “Pro-choice side must not hijack this terrible event”, asking, “Was Ms Halappanavar treated in line with existing obstetrical practice in Ireland?

In light of these facts, it seems extremely unlikely, except perhaps in the dreams of rabid anti-Catholics, that the doctors at the hospital would have simply said, “This is a Catholic country, we don’t do that here.”

I also hope I am not the only one wondering why the Indian Ambassador to Ireland has decided to weigh in, adding his voice to the pressure of the abortion lobby/Labour Party/media consortium who have been pressing for years for legalisation. Why is the Indian Ambassador suddenly so interested in Ireland’s abortion laws? Is it really normal practice in modern diplomatic circles to join in partisan demands of a sovereign country to change so fundamental a law?

Mr. Debashish Chakravarti may have revealed more about his own country’s problems than Ireland’s when he issued a statement today claiming, with no more evidence than anyone else has, that Savita Halappanavar “would still be alive if she had been treated in India.” Since when does a diplomatic attaché tell the host country which laws to overturn?

Perhaps someone just forgot to show Mr. Chakravarti the report by the World Health Organisation showing that Ireland, with its abortion restrictions, has one of the lowest maternal mortality rates in the world, one that is vastly better than India’s.

How much better? The WHO’s document shows that from data gathered up to 2005, Ireland had one maternal death. Yes, one. India had 450 per 100,000 live births for a total of about 117,000. Under India’s current law allowing abortion virtually on demand, about 11 million children are (officially reported) killed by abortion annually – just under two and half times the entire population of the Irish Republic – and around 20,000 women die of complications related to these legal abortions.

But calm deliberation on medical, legal or demographic facts has never been the M.O. of abortion lobbyists or their supporters in media or parliaments, and the country is in an uproar with the media/abortion lobby demanding legislation, right NOW, to legalise abortion. Pro-life people I’ve spoken to in Ireland fear that the pressure may prove too much for the waffling and half-hearted pro-life Irish politicians.

The Irish Times ran the first piece on the case on Wednesday, written by the daughter of one of Ireland’s leading Trotskyite abortion lobbyists, with the completely unbiased and totally objective headline, “Woman ‘denied a termination’ dies in hospital”. This shot the journalistic pinball around the mainstream media world, bringing predictable headlines from the usual suspects: the Guardian: “Ireland’s abortion ban: a history of obstruction and denial,” the BBC: “Woman dies after abortion request ‘refused’ at Galway hospital,” the Toronto Star: “Senseless death of Irish woman exposes grim reality for women”.

In this atmosphere of impartial objectivity, Indian newspapers are taking up Mr. Chakravarti’s cry, issuing such headlines as, “Ireland murders pregnant Indian dentist” and “Indian woman died pleading, Irish abortion laws denied a termination”. Several Indian television stations are running footage of Savita’s mother saying, “In an attempt to save a four-month-old fetus they killed my… daughter. How is that fair you tell me?” Demonstrations have been organised by India’s main opposition, Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party with women carrying placards saying, “Catholic Ireland can’t allow the murder of innocent women”.

Praveen Halappanavar is in India now, also issuing demands that Ireland change its laws. “I have lost my wife, but would like to continue the fight for justice. I will return to Galway and continue the fight. The Indian government should wake up and prevail upon the Irish government to make changes to their law,” he said.

I have several other questions that I imagine will not come up in the medical investigations. For starters: the connections between the Halappanavar family and the abortion lobbyists and the rabidly pro-abortion media remain unclear. How exactly did the Irish Times become aware of the case? They quote Praveen Halappanavar extensively, but did he contact them or did he speak to someone in the abortion lobby first?

Because a leaked e-mail obtained by pro-life activists makes it clear that the Irish Choice Network knew the story was going to come to light by November 11th. Who tipped them off in time to organize their “spontaneous” demonstration outside the Dail on Wednesday? Finally, does anyone else wonder and marvel at the fact that this story “broke” on the day that the long-awaited report from the government’s Expert Group on Ireland’s abortion law was released (but still not published)?
Of course, the whole world, competing with each other to show how deeply they care about the tragic death of a beautiful young woman by calling as loudly as possible for the legalization of the killing of Ireland’s unborn children, are going to pour into our own commboxes demanding to know how I can be so callous and unfeeling. All I can say is, it’s a sort of tick of mine to use my brain, especially when stories don’t add up.

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