Bishop Doran voices concerns over abortion, falling birth rates and the closure of rural schools
Bishop Kevin Doran, Bishop of Elphin and Achonry.
The Bishop of Achonry and of Elphin has defended the three-day waiting period for abortion, claiming it has saved lives, while linking his concerns about abortion to falling birth rates and the closure of rural schools.
Bishop Kevin Doran criticised attempts to remove the provision and appealed to journalists to give greater coverage to arguments in its favour.
In a strongly worded statement, as he welcomed and supported the call of the Healthcare Professionals for Life for ‘a comprehensive national discussion on Ireland’s declining birth rate, abortion figures, and the long-term implications for families, healthcare services and the sustainability of the welfare state,' Bishop Kevin Doran claimed more than 10,000 women who had registered with a doctor for an abortion had not returned for a second appointment after the waiting period. “This can only mean that they found a way forward which they felt was preferable to abortion,” he said.
Bishop Doran, who also chairs the Council for Life of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, said the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 requires a three-day gap between an initial consultation with a medical practitioner and an abortion.
He argued that the interval gave women time to reflect on the decision and its implications for themselves and their unborn children.
He said there had been three separate attempts to change the law over the previous two years, with opponents presenting the waiting period as a threat to women’s health and a restriction on their freedom.
Turning to rural communities, Bishop Doran said people he had met recently had raised concerns about declining birth rates and school closures.
“They recognised it as a real-time challenge for local communities, but they were not making the obvious connection,” he said.
He claimed Ireland’s abortion system had resulted in 60,000 abortions over seven years and questioned the absence of an official “Plan B” to reverse the trend.
Bishop Doran also challenged media coverage of the waiting period, questioning what he described as resistance to reporting its benefits.
“I respectfully appeal to young journalists to consider this counter-cultural viewpoint when reporting news that truly serves the public good,” he said.
He concluded by thanking parents, doctors and public representatives who had opposed removing the three-day provision.
“Your courageous action has saved many young lives so that the gifts of those children can bear fruit in the Ireland of tomorrow,” he said.
