Cardinal Brady has hit out at attempts to introduce abortion and euthanasia to Ireland. Speaking at the opening of the national novena in Knock shrine, Co Mayo, the cardinal described the efforts of individuals and groups to introduce abortion to Ireland and the increased pressure to accede to legalised euthanasia as “a fundamental threat to human hope” that “threatens the dignity of us all”.

His comments come after attempts by the HSE to bring euthanasia campaigner Len Doyal to lecture health professionals on “Why euthanasia should be legalized”, and as the IFPA sponsor a case before the European Court of Justice attempting to force abortion on Ireland.

Welcoming Cardinal Brady’s remarks Eoghan of Youth Defence said that the pro-life majority needed to be vigilant and active in opposing such threats and bringing them to the attention of the public.

Meanwhile Cóir, the pro-sovereignty organization campaigning against the Lisbon Treaty re-run has said that the assurances offered by the EU on the Lisbon treaty on abortion are worthless.

“While the Government is desperate to use these assurances as a sweetener for Lisbon 2, the truth is that they are, in fact, utterly worthless. They are not part of any treaty and therefore have no legal effect in EU law. Writing about these assurances on July 30th 2009, High Court Judge and Chairman of the Referendum Commission, Frank Clarke wrote that “these do not change the treaty”. He also described the assurances as “statements” – rather than using the deliberately misleading description of “guarantee” being bandied about by the Government and by Yes campaigners,” said Cóir in their newly-released position paper on the issue.

“That’s because these statements are not guarantees – they are not legally binding on the EU Court of Justice, which is the only body that decides on and interprets EU treaties; despite the government’s insistence that lodging them with the United Nations gives them legal standing. But the United Nations has no jurisdiction to enforce EU guarantees, and the European Court does not have to consider any other law besides EU law, which these statements are most definitely not. The “guarantees” will not be referenced in the amendment which is now to be put before the Irish people on October 2nd – the planned date for the second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. This just confirms what we know to be true: these guarantees can have no effect on Irish or EU law, “ the paper continues.

To read the paper in full here on the Cóir site