On any given night, there are more than 20 homeless pregnant women living rough on the streets of our cities [1]. This human suffering could be alleviated and suitable sheltered accommodation found, if the political will existed.
Likewise, we should be working together to make Ireland a pioneering centre of excellence for perinatal palliative care facilities to help families of babies with a life-limiting condition.
In 2015, only seven infants were presented for adoption in Ireland. Hundreds of Irish couples are on waiting lists having been declared suitable to adopt a child.
And as a country, we should be putting resources in place to conduct research with organisations like the Lejeune Foundation to enhance the lives of children with Down syndrome and improve their quality of life and outcomes.
These are just some of the areas we should be focussing our energies on as a society, rather than following other countries down the road of abortion.
[1] Source of numbers: Anew Dublin, the registered charity providing sheltered accommodation to homeless pregnant women (2016).