Ireland – Ivana Bacik: How abortion campaign went from ‘desperately lonely’ to ‘tremendously positive’

On a political level, there was very little to cling to as an abortion activist in the 80s and 90s, she says, and religion of course played a large part in that.

May 27, 2023

LABOUR LEADER IVANA Bacik spoke to The Journal about how the route to abortion rights went from being a “desperately lonely” movement on the periphery of society to becoming a mainstream political issue.

The subject of access to abortion stills holds the public’s attention today with a recent review finding that issues such as geographic location, the three-day waiting period and other obstacles still impede women’s access to abortion services.

Continued: https://www.thejournal.ie/ivana-bacik-interview-abortion-rights-ireland-6077186-May2023/

Five years after Ireland’s historic abortion referendum, access to care is still ‘patchy’

By Niamh Kennedy and Emily Blumenthal, CNN
Thu May 25, 2023

In 2018, the Irish public voted overwhelmingly to repeal the country’s Eighth Amendment, overturning one of the strictest abortion bans in the European Union. There were scenes of jubilation as the referendum result was announced, with many in Ireland seeing it as a historic step that would give women control over their own bodies.

But five years on, although abortion is free and legally available in Ireland up to 12 weeks of pregnancy – after that allowed only in exceptional circumstances, if there is a risk to the mother’s life or the fetus is not expected to survive – the abortion system is still far from where campaigners and charities would like it to be.

Continued: https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/25/europe/ireland-abortion-referendum-5-years-intl-cmd/index.html

Film revives memories of girl’s death as Ireland reviews abortion rules

Death of Ann Lovett while giving birth in 1984 helped sparked movement that led to 2018 vote to lift abortion ban

Rory Carroll
Tue 9 May 2023

On the morning of 31 January 1984 Ann Lovett put a pair of scissors in her school bag and left her home in Granard, a small town in County Longford, Ireland.

It was cold and wet. The 15-year-old was in her uniform but did not go to school. She went to the deserted grotto of St Mary’s church, lay down on gravel, removed her underwear and gave birth in the rain.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/09/film-ireland-abortion-rules-ann-lovett

09.05.2023

Film, Art, Books

Ann Lovett

Ciaran Creagh

Global Doctors for Choice

‘Clear’ difference in abortion access across Ireland – Malone

Saturday, 29 Apr 2023

It is "clear" there are differences in access to abortion services across Ireland, according to the former Master of the Rotunda Hospital.

Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology Professor Fergal Malone said some parts of the country are well served, while in other parts, it is "challenging" as he described "conscientious objection" as one of the factors.

Continued: https://www.rte.ie/news/health/2023/0429/1379888-abortion-review/

29.04.2023

News

conscientious objection

Ireland – Abortion system could collapse, says researcher involved in review of laws

Dr Deirdre Duffy identifies issues around conscientious objection and spread of services and is concerned her findings will not be shared

Jennifer Bray
Mon Apr 3 2023

Elements of Ireland’s abortion system are “not sustainable” in their current form and the service could collapse, according to a researcher involved in a review of the State’s laws on terminations of pregnancy.

Dr Deirdre Duffy, now at Lancaster University, and a team of researchers from Manchester Metropolitan University were appointed by the Government to carry out a study looking at the experience of abortion service providers such as hospital staff and GPs.

Their research has identified issues around guidance on conscientious objection as well shortcomings in the spread of services available around the country and the availability of staff and facilities in hospitals.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/social-affairs/2023/04/03/abortion-review-researcher-fears-termination-service-could-collapse/

03.04.2023

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belief-based care denial

conscientious objection

Abortion—The Real Irish Lessons

Road to Repeal: 50 Years of Struggle in Ireland for Contraception and Abortion (new book)

by Tomás Mac Sheoin
Feb 01, 2023

In August 2022, Fintan O’Toole, a journalist with the Irish Times, published an article in the New York Review of Books giving his interpretation of the lessons to be learned from the Irish experience with abortion. O’Toole first outlined the history: in 1981, right-wing groups, buttressed by American support—including financial support—formed the Pro-Life Amendment Campaign, which persuaded the Irish government to propose a referendum to include a ban on abortion in the Irish Constitution. The ban was passed in 1983, becoming the constitution’s eighth amendment.

O’Toole outlines three problems with legal bans on abortion. First, they simply do not stop abortions: in 1985, 3,888 women traveled from Ireland to England to terminate their pregnancies; in 2001, that number was 6,673.

Continued: https://monthlyreview.org/2023/02/01/abortion-the-real-irish-lessons/

01.02.2023

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Film, Art, Books

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Eighth Amendment

Fintan O'Toole

Pro-Life Amendment Campaign

Savita Halappanavar

traveling for abortion

Ireland – Rotunda master says 95% of parents in Down syndrome cases choose abortion

Hospital ‘does not advocate for termination, that is just the lived experience’, says Prof Fergal Malone

Paul Cullen
Mon Dec 26 2022

About 95 per cent of parents whose babies are diagnosed with Down syndrome at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin choose to have an abortion, according to the master of the hospital.

Prof Fergal Malone says the Rotunda strives to be non-directive in its counselling to affected parents. “The 95 per cent who choose to travel do reach that decision themselves. We very much do not advocate for termination,” he said. “The reality is that the vast majority choose to terminate. I don’t have a view on whether that is the right thing. We don’t advocate for it, that is just the lived experience.”

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/health/2022/12/26/rotunda-master-says-95-of-parents-of-babies-diagnosed-with-down-syndrome-choose-abortion/

26.12.2022

Ireland – The Changemakers: The woman who took on the State – and won access to contraception for all

When Customs officials seized the spermicidal jelly mother-of-four May McGee had ordered from the UK on the advice of a doctor, she was livid and took action that led to lasting change, writes Clodagh Finn

SUN, 13 NOV, 2022

It’s striking to hear May McGee describe how she coped with having four babies in just 23 months, between December 1968 and November 1970. “I used to feed them one, two, three, four,” she says recalling how the little bundles were lined up in the family mobile home at Loughshinny in north county Dublin.

“Four bottles, four nappies,” she says, and then makes four gestures, showing how she turned over each baby to wind it.

Continued: https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/people/arid-41000651.html

‘Extremely reckless’: Anti-abortion campaign calls for remote consultations to stop

During Covid pandemic, women seeking abortions did not need to visit GP in person

Sarah Burns
Sat Nov 12 2022

An anti-abortion campaign has described plans to continue remote consultations for women seeking access to abortion care in the State as “extremely reckless”.

Women seeking an abortion during the coronavirus pandemic did not need to visit a GP in person, but this measure was due to lapse following the end of Covid 19 travel restrictions.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/health/2022/11/12/extremely-reckless-anti-abortion-campaign-calls-for-remote-consultations-to-stop/

Ireland – Protesters call for removal of barriers to abortion

Saturday, 29 Oct 2022
By Colman O'Sullivan

Around a thousand people have marched in Dublin to mark the tenth anniversary of the death of Savita Halappanavar and to call for changes to abortion laws.

Speaking at the Garden of Remembrance before the march set off, Orla O'Connor of the National Women's Council called for an end to the three-day waiting period before a woman can get an abortion and the abolition of the 12-week limit.

Continued: https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2022/1029/1332157-abortion/