Number of women travelling to UK for abortions falls sharply

The number of women with Westmeath addresses who had abortions in the UK fell by over 80 per cent last year.

According to recently published figures from the Department of Health in the UK, only six women with Westmeath addresses had pregnancies terminated in the UK in 2019. In 2018, the figure was 35.

Nationally, the number of Irish women who travelled from Ireland to England and Wales for abortions in 2019 was 375 compared to 2,879 the year before, a decrease of 87 per cent.

Following a referendum on May 25 2018, the eighth amendment of the constitution was repealed and services became available in January last year. Women are now permitted to have an abortion within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Terminations are also permitted later in a pregnancy if a women's life or health is at risk or in the cases of fatal fetal abnormality.

The chief executive of the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) Niall Behan said: “The statistics show what we already knew: not everyone in Ireland who needs abortion care can access it here at home; either because their pregnancy falls outside the law or because care is not accessible locally.”

“We should be proud of the way abortion care has been integrated into mainstream healthcare in Ireland. And we should be extremely proud of the committed and conscientious providers—including IFPA staff—who are ensuring that women have access to this care, including during the coronavirus pandemic.

“But the reality is that women who do not meet the legal criteria for abortion must endure the physical, emotional and financial burdens of travelling abroad for healthcare. This is unacceptable.”

Mr Behan concluded: “The new government must ensure that the 2021 review of the abortion law focuses on enhancing access to abortion care so that no one is left behind.”

The Pro Life Campaign has said that the reduction in the number of women travelling to England for abortions comes as no surprise.

Commenting on the latest abortion figures, Pro Life Campaign spokesperson, Maeve O’Hanlon said:

“It was inevitable that the number of Irish abortions occurring in England would drop considerably following repeal of the Eighth Amendment. The heart-breaking reality remains however that regardless of where it happens, with every abortion that takes place a new and unique human life has his or her life ended.

“Since the introduction of wide-ranging abortion here in 2019, the focus of the Government has been in rolling out abortion provision nationwide rather than highlighting and promoting positive alternatives to abortion.

“The impact of the new abortion regime will become clearer when today’s figures are added to the number of abortions that took place here in 2019. Irrespective of what these soon to be released figures reveal, we already know that for the first time in our history thousands of unborn babies have had their lives ended in this country with the full backing of the law. It doesn’t matter how it is packaged or presented, there’s nothing progressive about such a sad and troubling development,” she said.