Abortion campaigner to head Ireland's health service. 

More on Tony O'Brien's appointment. A statement from the Pro Life Campaign via their Facebook page. The Independent describes O'Brien as one of Reilly's "key executives." Reilly is an intelligent man, he is a doctor after all. He is also a businessman, though he has been described as more of a businessman than a doctor. This worries me as the debt default issue would suggest that he is not much of a businessman either. The point I'm trying to make is that he is a terrible politician, he seems to have no idea ...

Pro Life Campaign says new HSE appointment sends the wrong message on abortion

27th July 2012

The Minister for Health James Reilly today appointed Mr Tony O’Brien as the new Director General of the HSE.  Mr O'Brien was previously the Chief Executive of the Irish Family Planning Association and a leading campaigner for abortion in Ireland.
Commenting on the Minister for Health’s latest appointment, Pro Life Campaign spokesperson, Cora Sherlock said:
“Ever since the Clare Daly Bill on abortion, Minister Reilly has been effectively relying on the speaking notes of the pro-abortion movement rather than defending Fine Gael’s pre-election pro-life commitments.
“Now he has appointed someone as Director General of the HSE who has spent most of his career campaigning for abortion on demand in Ireland. The political message sent by this appointment is unmistakable. Whether it’s the issue or the optics, clearly Minister Reilly doesn’t get it.
“Of more concern, however, to pro-life supporters is the manner in which the Expert Group process initiated by the Minister is descending into farce.
“Both Minister Reilly and Minister of State Kathleen Lynch have already made public statements pre-empting its findings and it will come as no surprise if it reports back with a narrow list of options all advocating abortion. If this happens, it will have nothing to do with women’s health or the right to life and everything to do with politics.”

Former head of IFPA to head Ireland's health service, well done minister Reilly, you get the prize for most cock ups this Summer. 

James Reilly believes that he doesn't have enough trouble on his plate. His recent appearance in Stubbs Gazette as a debt defaulter hasn't caused him enough grief, he has decided to appoint a former head of the largest organized campaigner for abortion in Ireland as head of the new health service.
As chief executive of the IFPA Mr Tony O'Brien was very critical of Ireland and her laws in this regard. Mr O'Reilly was very vocal more than ten years ago when the statistics showed that the number of Irish women seeking abortions in Britain was on the rise, responding to the release of statistics in 2000 he said: "... we are doing very little to seriously tackle the underlying issue of unplanned pregnancy."The numbers have declined over the last ten years, the IFPA have their own spin on that but it can't be explained by contraception, not when the birth rate is at a 118 year high and abortions are at a 30 year low.
Mr O'Brien has spent the last ten years working in the health services. He seems to have done very well there. I can't take his success from him. His appointment as head of the nation's health services is a strange move, this cannot be denied. The minister cannot claim that he was not aware of Mr O'Brien's résumé. Because of this Mr. O'Brien's appointment at this time, when abortion is being discussed with such heat his appointment for a three year period is extraordinary arrogant by O'Reilly. O'Reilly has made other decisions where he has been criticized for his arrogance but this one takes the biscuit. Considering some of the actions Mr O'Brien took and remarks that he made during his tenure as chief of the IFPA the only thing that can be said is that his appointment is thoroughly unsuitable at this time once you consider the issue that James Reilly has told us that he will legislate.
Thankfully some within Fine Gael have the courage to stand up to Reilly and I hope that others will develop the same but this appointment while it will give comfort to the Labour Party it will do nothing to boost support for Fine Gael. Having two Junior Ministers in your department, at least one of which feels slighted that the resignation of the head of the HSE wasn't made known to her before it was announced publicly, isn't working well for Reilly.
Of course there is one other possibility, that Reilly is just not up to the job.

Martin statement re abortion legislation "timely and welcome" say Pro Life Campaign

23rd July 2012

Fianna Fáil leader Michéal Martin's comments today, in which he said that legislation to allow abortion along the lines of the X case would effectively lead to abortion on demand "are timely and welcome", the Pro Life Campaign (PLC) have said.
In a statement, PLC spokesperson Dr Ruth Cullen said that Mr Martin's remarks "acknowledged the reality of what an Irish abortion regime would look like after legislation".
Dr Cullen said: "The past week has been heartening for those who still believe that when political parties make promises, they should stick by them.
"Last week we saw a significant number of Fine Gael TDs and Senators remind their party leadership of their election pledge to stand up for unborn human life. Today we saw Michéal Martin reaffirm his party's commitment to the same principle: that human life must be protected at all stages. Both developments were timely and welcome.
"At a time when Labour politicians are trying to bully the Government into believing the myth that the European court judgement in the  A,B and C v Ireland case obliges Ireland to legalise abortion, we welcome the clarity which both Mr Martin's comments, and the stance taken by backbench Fine Gael TDs, have brought to the debate.
"Mr Martin's statement, that legislation to provide for abortion along the lines of the X case would create "an open-door situation" which would be "very difficult to hold back" acknowledged the reality of what an Irish abortion regime would look like after legislation.
Dr Cullen also welcomed Mr Martin's acknowledgement that current Irish medical practice was about protecting both mother and child.
"Pro-abortion advocates and politicians have repeatedly attempted to obscure the fact that Ireland boasts world class medical care for pregnant women. In this context, Mr Martin's recognition that Irish doctors do everything they can "to preserve the life of the unborn and preserve the life of the mother" is very welcome.
"Ireland has consistently shown itself to be the safest place in the world to give birth in, and international statistics confirm this."