THURSDAY FEBRUARY 8 2018OPINION20

Pro fide et patria

Politicians mustserve public

Fitting penaltyfor blatant crime

WHILE the talks grind on at Stor-mont with no apparent signof a positive outcome, we can

only wonder how much attention is be-ing focused on the consequences for theNorthern Ireland economy if there is noagreement.It must be acknowledged that even a

fully functioning assembly will not haveall the answers to our many problems butat least it would provide a structure forstrategic direction, ministerial decision-making and accountability to the public.As we face the enormous challenges

presented by Brexit and adjust to what-ever trade arrangements are agreed bythe British government as a result ofthat process, people are entitled to ask:Who is looking after the north’s inter-ests and why should businesses investin a place which does not have a workingadministration?These are pertinent questions in a week

that has seen hundreds of job losseswith serious repercussions for workersand their families as well as the widereconomy.There was devastating news on Tues-

day when water technology providerWilliams Industrial Services (WIS), whichemployed 145 people in Mallusk, Co Ant-rim, was placed in administration.WIS is one of the largest firms of its kind

in Ireland and its closure, said to be be-cause it ‘ran out of funds’ after encoun-tering a number of commercial issueson some of its key contracts, came as ashock to workers who faced immediateredundancy.On a bleak day for local manufacturing,

Schlumberger, which constructs equip-ment used in the oil and gas industry,confirmed the loss of 205 jobs at its New-townabbey operation.There are also fears over staff reduc-

tions at NIE Networks while the plannedclosure of Kilroot power station couldput almost 300 jobs at risk.These are difficult and uncertain times

for hundreds of people who will be ask-ing what political leaders are doing tohelp them as they face the loss of theirlivelihoods.

DRUG dealing is unacceptable inany section of our society but yes-terday’s court evidence confirm-

ing that it has been taking place in thegrounds of Belfast City Hall illustrates thesheer scale of the problem.Michael James Mark McGann (24) re-

ceived a 14-month sentence – with sevenmonths to be served in custody and theremainder on licence – after admittingselling cannabis on the front lawn of theprestigious building last July.His crime would have been no less seri-

ous if it had occurred in a dark alleywayor a shady club but the symbolism of thelocation, at the very heart of civic life,had to be taken into consideration.The judge was entitled to describe it as

a “blatant act” and similar penalties needto be applied to all those who come be-fore the courts in connection with suchoffences.

A FEW days ago, I read this. Ithas stayed with me. “I have asix-month-old son, a wonderful,unique little person who brings

joy everywhere he goes. I had my first scanwith him at 11 weeks. It was amazing – Isaw his little heart beating, his perfectlyformed body and him moving. He was nota blob or a clump of cells. He was, and is, aunique person.“He was the same baby at 11 weeks ashe is today – just at a different stage ofdevelopment and not simply a foetus.“The doctors and nurses talked aboutmy baby, not some alien being. Underthe government’s proposal this perfectlyformed, innocent baby can now be abortedfor no reason at all.”Scary, isn’t it?According to media reports – that I havenot seen refuted – this proposal, whichwould effectively make abortion in theRepublic available, on demand, up to 12weeks, is set to be put to a Sinn Féin ardfheis before the expected referendum onthe Eighth Amendment.If the Eighth Amendment is repealed,then all the protection afforded the babyin the womb in the Irish constitution willgo with it.The proposal referred to above arisesfrom an Oireachtas committee reportthat advised the government on whatwould follow in the event of repeal and itsrecommendations would liberalise Irishabortion laws in a way that would haveseemed unthinkable just months ago.Unrestricted abortion up to 12 weeks –abstained on by Sinn Féin in the committee– has been making all the headlines butthere is also a proposal to kill babies withso-called fatal foetal abnormalities right upto birth.And very worryingly, while the reportrules out abortion on grounds of a foetalabnormality not considered fatal, it

recommends generalised “health” groundsfor abortion without recommending anygestational limit, thus potentially pavingthe way for an abortion regime in Irelandas liberal or even more liberal than thatemanating from the iniquitous BritishAbortion Act of 1967. That act provides forthe killing of 90 per cent of unborn babiesfound to have Down Syndrome and alsothe killing of preborn human beings withoperable disabilities such as a cleft palateor club foot.Sinn Féin’s reported plans to further

liberalise their abortion policy helpconfirm a suspicion that some have hadfor a long time, namely that when Sinn Féinsay that they are opposed to the extensionof the 1967 act to the north, their mainproblem with that act is that it is Britishlegislation, as opposed to Irish, and notits evil provisions that have resulted inthe killing of almost nine million unbornbabies.Under the act 20 preborn human beingsare killed every hour, or one every threeminutes, as Lord David Alton informed

an audience in a powerful and troublingspeech in St Brigid’s Parish, Belfast, afortnight ago. Every voter and publicrepresentative would do well to check outLord Alton’s website, davidalton.net formore information.That passage that you read at the topof this article was part of a newspapercolumn written last week in The IrishSun by Lucinda Creighton, former Irishminister for Europe, who by now wouldmost likely be a senior cabinet minister,tipped to be the first woman taoiseach,had she not the courage to defy the partywhip and her boss Enda Kenny and votewith her conscience the last time abortionlegislation came before the Oireachtas in2013.Kenny’s infamous decision to deny hiscolleagues a conscience vote caused suchtrauma in Fine Gael that Leo Varadkar hadno option but to promise a free vote onany future abortion legislation.

Of the three largest political partiesin Dáil Éireann only Sinn Féin hasdecided to refuse its TDs a consciencevote, despite the pleas of amongothers, Peadar Tóibín, their MeathWest TD who courageously defied thewhip in 2013.This is not to Sinn Féin’s credit andmust compound the anger of thosesupporters who think that they are

too liberal on abortion as it is, and thatdenial of a conscience vote on such anissue is totalitarian.Martin Luther King said: “There comes atime when one must take a position that isneither safe, nor politic, nor popular, buthe must take it because conscience tellshim it is right.”If Sinn Féin don’t change tack on aconscience clause and on abortion,Michelle O’Neill may have some explainingto do in Mid-Ulster and elsewhere.n Newton Emerson is away

Abortion attitude maycost Sinn Féin dearly

Of the three largest politicalparties in Dáil Éireann onlySinn Féin has decided to refuseits TDs a conscience vote

MartinO’Brien

Running up that hill

n STEPPING IT UP: A fell runner tackles the steps up Cave Hill, north Belfast PICTURE: Mal McCann