Donegal anti-abortion group announces its support for Tim Jackson

A Donegal anti-abortion group has announced its support for Donegal man Tim Jackson who has declared a ‘hunger strike’ until the  Dáil committee on abortion watches a video of an abortion procedure.

Mr Jackson (28) began his protest outside the Dáil last week and said on Friday his is to continue the protest until the committee watches the video.

In a statement, Donegal Pro Life said it “salutes and supports Tim Jackson for his heroic stand in defence of the right to life of the unborn child”.

“Tim's reasonable request is that Leo Varadkar and each member of the Oireachtas abortion committee view the video on how abortions are performed before deciding on who can live or who can die,” the group said in a statement.

“The Oireachtas committee on abortion will meet every Wednesday for nine sessions until mid November . Now is the time to raise your pro-life concerns by email, phone or letter with your TD's, Senators and local Representatives, as together we can save the lives of unborn children.”

On Friday Jackson said he will continue his hunger strike action outside the Dáil despite receiving a letter stating the chairperson of Oireachtas Committee on Abortion has viewed a video of the procedure.

He said a letter from Catherine Noone, chairwoman of the Oireachtas Committee on Abortion, says "the Taoiseach has no difficulty watching it”.

Mr Jackson says he will continue his hunger strike action outside the Dáil until the committee watch it together.

"Although the correspondence is a step in the right direction, I will keep going until the committee watch the video together in session . There is no other way of verifying if they all have watched it."