Figures released by the HSE show that 12 babies were born alive in Irish hospitals following abortion procedures in 2022, all of whom died soon afterwards.
The information, disclosed in responds to parliamentary questions from Independent Ireland TD Ken O’Flynn, revealed that one baby was under 22 weeks’ gestation, nine were between 22-27 weeks, and two were between 28-31 weeks.
Deputy O’Flynn described the revelations as “hard to fathom” and said that there needed to be “a lot more openness surrounding the medical care given to or withheld from the babies in these appalling situations.”
The Life Institute spokeswoman Sandra Parda called the situation “barbaric” and “deeply disturbing” pointing out that some of the babies were more than seven months’ gestation. She said there was a “a culture of denial in the media and political establishment” on the issue, despite cases being documented both in research and now in official HSE figures. “This information should be the subject of significant public discussion leading to change,” she said.
The Pro Life Campaign echoed these concerns, describing it as “truly shocking” that there is no clarity around what ‘comfort care’ means in practice or what standard of care is provided to babies born alive after abortion.
A 2020 UCC study on late-term abortion and feticide recorded doctors describing the practice of injecting a lethal substance into a baby’s heart as “awful” and “brutal,” with some admitting they found the procedure emotionally overwhelming.
