Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has condemned new anti-abortion posters that criticise him personally.The posters, which do not reference any group, carry a graphic photograph of a bloodied foetus and read: "Every child matters, except to Alan Shatter".
The posters have been located near Mr Shatter’s home and outside at least one creche in his Dublin South constituency.
Mr Shatter said the posters are "entirely outrageous, entirely inappropriate" and the people behind them lack humanity, insight and compassion.
“It is regrettable that a minority of individuals are now reverting to the insensitive and disgraceful tactics deployed by the fundamentalist bullyboys who targeted both me and others in the early 1980s,” he said.
“As someone who has campaigned for many years for greater protection for children, for reform of our child protection services, for a senior Minister for Children in Government and for a Children’s Rights Amendment in our Constitution I was appalled.
“The persons or organisation responsible for these untruthful and illegal posters are apparently too cowardly to include their identity on the posters. They also have no concern for pregnant women who have tragically miscarried, experienced still births or a pregnancy with a child suffering a fatal foetal abnormality nor have they any concern for any mother whose pregnancy had to be terminated where its continuation posed a real and substantial threat to her life.”
Pro-life group Youth Defence said they are not involved in the posters.