‘Staggering’ 1 in 6 babies killed by abortion in Republic of Ireland

One in six babies in the Republic of Ireland were killed by abortion in 2024, according to newly released figures.

The Department of Health reported a total of 10,852 abortions last year, bringing the total number of abortions recorded by the Government since the 2019 law change to 55,000.

In 2019, Ireland made abortion available on demand up to twelve weeks, with a three-day reflection period. Following the coronavirus pandemic, women have been allowed to take abortion pills to abort their babies at home.

‘Staggering’

Pro Life Campaign’s Eilís Mulroy called the figures “truly horrifying”, saying: “The 10,852 abortions in 2024 represents a 280 per cent increase from the 2,879 Irish abortions that happened in 2018, the year before the law changed.

“Even if one accepts at face value the highly debatable claim by abortion advocates that an additional one thousand illegal abortion pills were purchased annually before the law was repealed, the post – 2018 surge in abortions is still staggering.”

She lamented: “There is no sign of any willingness on the part of the Government to sincerely address what’s taking place or to even engage with people who are calling for reasonable measures to be brought forward to try and reduce the spiralling numbers of abortions taking place. This needs to urgently change.”

Sanctity of life

Institute Director Ciarán Kelly said: “Christians, whether in Ireland or elsewhere, must not tire of speaking out against the evil of abortion.

“Every human life is made in God’s image and precious in his sight – that includes the unborn. The death of nearly 11,000 of them is nothing short of tragedy.”

Campaigner Dr Calum Miller wrote: “Ireland was promised abortion would be legal for rare cases. 1 in 6 babies are now killed by abortion in Ireland. Abortion is never ‘safe, legal and rare’.”

Refocus

In a Dáil debate on International Women’s Day earlier this year, Independent Senator Rónán Mullen expressed concern at the growing abortion provision in hospitals across the country.

Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee claimed that this was “very welcome”, but Senator Mullen expressed concern, saying that “like many other Irish women and men, I am troubled by the rise in Ireland’s abortion rates.

“There needs to be a refocus to reduce abortion, specifically the dangers of basing abortion on a telemedicine model when the HSE has acknowledged that meeting a woman in person increases the likelihood of the provider identifying any coercion or domestic abuse.”