Citing official figures showing that 10,852 babies were aborted in Ireland in 2024, Bishop Doran said the impact of abortion on communities — particularly in rural areas — “should not be underestimated”.
“The closure of primary schools across Ireland, and especially in rural communities, has surfaced as a major cause of concern in recent weeks,” the bishop said. “There are complex reasons for this, but the impact of abortion on population is becoming increasingly clear.”
“Quite apart from the enormous human tragedy involved, this is the equivalent of 300 classes of primary school children,” he said. “Abortion doesn’t just kill babies. It deprives communities all over Ireland of thousands of happy, laughing children.”
Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Bishop Doran warned that unless Ireland confronts the reality of abortion’s demographic impact, the long-term consequences will extend far beyond the education system.
“Unless we stop this madness, the long-term impact will be seen in a dramatic reduction of young adults in every aspect of community life across our society,” he said.
The bishop’s stark warning has been echoed by pro-life groups, who say the scale of abortion in Ireland since the repeal of the Eighth Amendment has far exceeded what was promised to voters.
Eilís Mulroy of the Pro Life Campaign told The Irish Catholic that the latest abortion figures represent a dramatic escalation since the 2018 referendum but efforts to draw attention to the social and human consequences of abortion are often met with hostility.
“Some abortion supporters react with outrage whenever these harsh realities are highlighted and attempt to shut down debate,” she said. “But we cannot gloss over or explain away the heartbreaking reality of what is happening.”
“We have to confront the hard truth that one child in every six who might have filled a junior infants classroom in this country is missing because of abortion,” she said.
Bernie Smyth, Chairwoman of Precious Life, told The Irish Catholic that the wider public is not being allowed to grasp the full consequences of abortion because pro-life voices are being marginalised in public discourse.
“The mainstream media has cancelled the Pro Life movement,” Ms Smyth said. “People aren’t hearing about the impact of abortion.”
She said the scale of abortion since 2019 is already reshaping Irish society.
“It’s impacting society now, that’s 60,000 babies gone since 2018, it’s showing in the numbers in the registrations for schools and removing classrooms of children,” she said.
Ms Smyth warned that Ireland is entering what she described as a “demographic winter”.
“We are entering a demographic winter, with less people being born and older people living longer,” she said.
She also criticised calls by People Before Profit to abolish the three-day cooling-off period before an abortion can take place, arguing that the measure provides essential space for women facing crisis pregnancies.
“It is clear that often women have a knee-jerk reaction when they find out they are pregnant and allowing them the time and a safe place to go for help and support, to have an ultrasound scan and talk through the options is a good thing for women,” she said. “I don’t know why People Before Profit are hell-bent on removing this choice.”