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Abortion (Ireland)

Publication

  • August 2023

During the campaign to repeal Ireland’s protections for the unborn, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar pledged that abortion would become “safe, legal and rare”. Yet in the years since the 2018 repeal of the eighth amendment, over 28,000 abortions have already been carried out.

Of the 8,156 abortions carried out in 2022:

only 22 were performed due to the risk to life or health of the mother.

only 4 were emergency situations.

were carried out due to perceived disability

The vast majority, 98.6%, were carried out under the ‘on-demand’ provisions of the law. Thousands of women every year abort their babies without needing to give any reason.

References

References

  1. 1 The Irish Times online, 30 January 2018, see https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/safe-legal-and-rare-full-text-of-taoiseach-s-abortion-speech-1.3373468 as at 6 July 2023
  2. 2 Figures available in separate annual reports, see for example 2022 available at Notifications in Accordance with Section 20 of The Health (Regulation Of Termination Of Pregnancy) Act 2018: Annual Report 2022, Department of Health, 22 June 2023. For accurate 2021 figures, see Supplementary note to be read in conjunction with the 2021 annual report (available at https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/229912/29ad48a6-1700-47dd-af08-bdb6316d6330.pdf#page=null as at 2 August 2023)
  3. 3 Notifications in Accordance with Section 20 of the Health (Regulation Of Termination Of Pregnancy) Act 2018: Annual Report 2022, Department of Health, June 2023, Table 1
  4. 4 Hardy, G, Benjamin, A and Abenhaim, H A, ‘Effect of Induced Abortions on Early Preterm Births and Adverse Perinatal Outcomes’, Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada, February 2013, 35(2), pages 138-143
  5. 5 Verlinden, I, Güngör, N, Wouters, K et al, ‘Parity-induced changes in global gene expression in the human mammary gland’, European Journal of Cancer Prevention, April 2005, 14(2), pages 129-137; Russo, I H and Russo, J, ‘Pregnancy-Induced Changes in Breast Cancer Risk’, Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia, July 2011, 16(3), pages 221-233
  6. 6 Huang, Y, Zhang, X, Li, W et al, ‘A meta-analysis of the association between induced abortion and breast cancer risk among Chinese females’, Cancer Causes Control, 2014, 25, pages 227-236
  7. 7 Niinimäki, M, Pouta, A, Bloigu, A et al, ‘Immediate Complications After Medical Compared With Surgical Termination of Pregnancy’, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, vol. 114, No. 4, October 2009, pages 795-804
  8. 8 The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion: Evidence-based Clinical Guideline Number 7, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, November 2011, page 40
  9. 9 9 Coleman, P K, ‘Abortion and mental health: quantitative synthesis and analysis of research published 1995-2009’, British Journal of Psychiatry, 199(3), 2011, pages 180-186
  10. 10 Fergusson, D M, Horwood, L J and Boden J M, ‘Does abortion reduce the mental health risks of unwanted or unintended pregnancy? A re-appraisal of the evidence’, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 47(9), 2013, pages 819-827
  11. 11 Very Low Birth Weight Infants in the Republic of Ireland: Annual Report 2020, National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre and NICORE Ireland, 2022, Table 5.9
  12. 12 Supplementary report on survival up to one year of age for babies born before 27 weeks gestational age: For Births in Great Britain from January to December 2016, MBRRACE-UK, June 2019, Table 2
  13. 13 Chronicle Live, 4 November 2017, see https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/meet-north-east-miracle-babies-13856463 as at 20 July 2023
  14. 14 Carla Lockhart MP tweet, 24 October 2022, see https://twitter.com/carlalockhart/status/1584610243644121088 as at 12 July 2023
  15. 15 #WeCount Report, Society of Family Planning, April 2023
  16. 16 ABC News, 1 July 2023, see https://abcnews.go.com/US/north-carolina-12-week-abortion-ban-effect-20/story?id=100499149 as at 20 July 2023
  17. 17 Kiowa County Press online, 20 May 2023, see https://kiowacountypress.net/content/montana-district-court-temporarily-halts-new-abortion-law as at 20 July 2023; HB 721 ‘An Act Creating the Dismemberment Abortion Prohibition Act’
  18. 18 Pensacola News Journal online, 11 May 2023, see https://eu.pnj.com/story/news/politics/2023/05/11/florida-sb-1580-now-law-what-conscience-based-health-care-law-does/70207064007/ as at 20 July 2023
  19. 19 Catholic News Agency, 3 August 2022, see https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251949/poland-reduces-legal-abortions-90-percent-court-eliminates-exception-fetal-defects as at 20 July 2023; BBC News online, 28 January 2021, see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55838210 as at 20 July 2023
  20. 20 The Irish Post online, 1 June 2023, see https://www.irishpost.com/news/bill-to-remove-three-day-wait-for-abortion-in-ireland-passes-but-there-is-still-work-to-be-done-254530 as at 18 July 2023
  21. 21 Response from HSE to PQs 48352/22 and 48354/22 (available at https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/personalpq/pq/2022-pq-responses/october-2022/pq-48352-22-sean-canney.pdf as at 3 August 2023)
  22. 22 FOI Investigation into Medical Abortion Treatment Failure, Percuity Limited, 27 October 2021
  23. 23 Irish Examiner 31 October 2021
  24. 24 Response from HSE to PQ 22103/22 (available at https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/personalpq/pq/2022-pq-responses/may-2022/pq-22103-22-michael-collins.pd as at 3 August 2023). See also ‘Breaking News! HSE admits link between ‘telemedicine’ and coercive abortion as Minister for Health refuses to concede’, Prolife Campaign, 4 March 2022, see https://prolifecampaign.ie/portfolio_cpt/4-3-2022-stephen-donnelly-sidesteps-question-on-link-between-telemedicine-and-coercive-abortion/ as at 18 July 2023
  25. 25 Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Bill 2023 (as introduced); ‘Fines for Criminal Offences’, Citizens Information, see https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/justice/criminal-law/criminal-trial/fines-for-criminal-offences/ as at 4 August 2023
  26. 26 Irish Legal News, 28 June 2023, see https://www.irishlegal.com/articles/abortion-safe-access-zones-bill-to-be-published as at 18 July 2023
  27. 27 The Irish Times, 27 September 2019
  28. 28 Gript.ie, 9 January 2022, see https://gript.ie/hospitals-say-no-reports-of-pro-life-protesters-harassing-women/ as at 13 July 2023
  29. 29 Gript.ie, 12 July 2023, see https://gript.ie/they-are-not-harassing-anyone-tds-blast-reckless-and-unworkable-abortion-exclusion-zones-bill/ as at 13 July 2023
  30. 30 Genesis 1:26, 9:6
  31. 31 Luke 1:35
  32. 32 Lecky, W E H, History of European Morals, vol. 2, Longmans, 1877, (1913 edition), page 22
  33. 33 Didache 2:2
  34. 34 Cameron, N and Sims P, Abortion: the crisis in morals and medicine, IVP, 1986, pages 28-29
  35. 35 Cited in loc cit
  36. 36 Calvin, J, Harmony of the Law – Volume 3, Baker, 1996, pages 30-31

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