Galway For Life has taken issue with the Galway Arts Centre over its hosting of a Galway Pro-Choice event in the run up the abortion referendum.

A spokesperson for Galway For Life told the Advertiser that it is totally inappropriate for an organisation that receives significant taxpayer funding to be facilitating one side in the debate on the Eighth Amendment, especially in the run up to a referendum.

“In 2015, out of total income of €545,469 the Galway Arts Centre received €242,250 from the Arts Council, €49,500 from Galway City Council and €9,602 from Galway County Council. These funds ultimately come from Irish tax and rate payers,” she said.

“Bad and all as it is when a taxpayer funded group facilitates one side in the abortion debate, it is far worse when such a group actively campaigns for abortion to be legalised in Ireland. This is what the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI ) have been doing. It is a scandal that the taxpayer funded NWCI is openly campaigning for repeal of the Eighth Amendment, which would strip unborn babies of their constitutional right to life, and the Government stays silent.

“Whether the Government acknowledges it or not, it is an absolute abuse of taxpayers’ money for the NWCI to be pushing one side of the abortion debate.”

“The NWCI is the same organisation that attacked the group Women Hurt after it launched a campaign reaching out to other women who were suffering following their abortion.”

“An independent report commissioned by thePro Life Campaign estimated that at least 100,000 lives were saved by the Eighth Amendment. This is something organisations like the NWCIand others ought to acknowledge and reflect upon. It is an inconvenient truth for groups pushing for the removal of the Eighth Amendment that there are tens of thousands of Irish people alive toda thanks in one way or another to this life-saving Amendment. Their stories need to be heard too,” she concluded.