Offaly contingent attends Rally for Life event in Dublin

A strong Offaly contingent was amongst those in attendance at the Rally for Life anti-abortion gathering in Dublin city centre last Saturday.

The event heard calls for the government to establish a special task force to tackle the "spiralling abortion rate", with speakers saying politicians must "wake up" to the fact that abortion numbers have more than trebled since 2018.

John Egan, chairperson of Offaly Prolife, who travelled with the Offaly group to the Rally for Life said it was "desperately sad to see the abortion rate continue to rise year after year, and to realise that 1 in 6 babies' lives now ends in abortion in Ireland".

Independent Offaly TD, Carol Nolan, addressed the rally and backed calls for the establishment of a special task force, saying that "thousands of women are being betrayed by the over-promotion of abortion as the only possible response to pregnancy in certain circumstances and the cruel under-promotion of life-affirming alternatives".

Deputy Nolan said that women needed support and real choices, and that they were being "betrayed" by the lack of support for unexpected pregnancies.

"I have stated previously that we are now confronting an epidemic of loss. That, coupled with the virtual certainty that the numbers of abortions will continue to escalate at an annual level, this should be treated as a health policy emergency," the Independent TD said.

The rally, which gathered at Parnell Square before marching to Custom House Quay where speeches were heard, also heard from Kaya Jones, Grammy winner, and former member of chart-topping group The Pussycat Dolls.

The songwriter and singer said she had a message for young women at the Rally in particular: "You are made to be loved and respected and cherished, not to be told that you must have a choice that no woman really wants - which is to end the life of her child".