Ireland’s abortion regime to be scrutinised by British politicians

Ireland’s abortion regime to be scrutinised by British politicians
Inquiry will focus on issues relating to women travelling from Ireland to Britain

July 18, 2017
Mary Minihan

A fresh inquiry into Ireland’s abortion regime will be undertaken by a group of British and Irish politicians.

A committee of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, chaired by former Northern Ireland Office minister Lord Alfred Dubs, will focus on issues relating to women travelling from Ireland to Britain to seek terminations.

Lord Dubs announced the inquiry into the “cross-jurisdictional” implications of abortion policy at the assembly meeting in Kilkenny on Tuesday.

Continued at source: Irish Times: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/ireland-s-abortion-regime-to-be-scrutinised-by-british-politicians-1.3158798

UK: The power of the pro-choice movement

The power of the pro-choice movement

Ann Furedi
CEO, BPAS
3 July 2017

The Tories’ Northern Ireland concession shows how much things have changed.

Although the announcement that the government will fund abortions in England for women from Northern Ireland appeared to come out of nowhere, the issue has been a festering sore for successive governments for years.

Of all the demands of the UK pro-choice movement, equity in access to abortion services for women from Northern Ireland has traditionally been the one that attracts the most sympathy.

Continued at source: Spiked: http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/the-power-of-the-pro-choice-movement/20032

UK: BPAS withdraws abortion fees for Northern Irish women

BPAS withdraws abortion fees for Northern Irish women
British Pregnancy Advisory Services acts ‘in response to government’s commitment to provide abortion care funding’

Henry McDonald Ireland correspondent
Monday 3 July 2017

Northern Irish women who travel to England, Scotland or Wales to have abortions will no longer have to pay consultation and treatment fees to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service.

BPAS announced on Monday that it had decided also to refund women from the region who used their services last Friday, after the threat of a parliamentary defeat over the Queen’s speech last week forced the government to scrap its policy of not funding abortions on the NHS for Northern Irish women in other parts of Britain.

Continued at source: The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/03/bpas-withdraws-abortion-fees-northern-irish-women

News, Ireland: Anti-abortion protests planned at Dublin and Cork airports told they don’t have permission

Anti-abortion protests planned at Dublin and Cork airports told they don't have permission

Pro-choice campaigners have called the plans 'despicable'

Rachel Hosie
Tuesday 27 June 2017

Pro-life campaigners are planning to try and stop Irish women travelling abroad for abortions by protesting at airports with graphic images of aborted foetuses.

However Cork and Dublin airports have said the organisation will not get permission to go ahead.

Continued at source: The INdependent: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/anti-abortion-protests-dublin-airport-cork-no-permission-pro-choice-plan-graphic-icbr-ireland-a7810786.html

Northern Ireland: Majority support for abortion in NI new survey reveals

Majority support for abortion in NI new survey reveals

Seanín Graham
17 June, 2017

AN OVERWHELMING majority of people in Northern Ireland believe abortion should be legalised in cases where a woman's life is at risk or when a fatal condition will result in the death of her baby, a major new study has revealed.

Ulster University researchers also discovered huge support for terminations in cases of rape and incest, while many respondents were opposed to women being prosecuted for buying online abortion pills.

Continued at source: Irish News: http://www.irishnews.com/news/2017/06/17/news/majority-support-for-abortion-in-ni-new-survey-reveals-1058450/

17.06.2017

fatal fetal abnormality

Ireland: Cautious welcome for new Taoiseach’s 2018 Repeal referendum

Cautious welcome for new Taoiseach’s 2018 Repeal referendum

June 16, 2017
Referendum on the 8th Amendment could be a step forward for Ireland

Speaking today in response to the announcement of a referendum to take place in 2018, Abortion Rights Campaign (ARC) spokesperson Linda Kavanagh said, “We’d obviously welcome it, however we reserve judgement until the wording of the referendum is revealed. We fear that it will offer only very limited abortion access and repeat the failures of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act. We need broad-based legislation so that real and realistic access is given, otherwise thousands will still travel or break the law by importing and taking abortion pills.”

Continued at source: Abortion Rights Campaign: https://www.abortionrightscampaign.ie/2017/06/16/cautious-welcome-for-new-taoiseachs-2018-repeal-referendum/

Supreme court narrowly rejects Northern Ireland free abortions appeal

Supreme court narrowly rejects Northern Ireland free abortions appeal

Mother and daughter were appealing for women from Northern Ireland to receive free abortions on the NHS in England

Amelia Gentleman
Wednesday 14 June 2017

The supreme court has ruled that women from Northern Ireland are not entitled to free access to abortions on the NHS, a decision that was condemned by campaigners as a “further blow to women” from the region.

A panel of supreme court judges narrowly upheld an earlier judgment, confirming that women who travel to England from Northern Ireland, which has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe, cannot receive free abortion care on the NHS.

Continued at link: The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/14/supreme-court-narrowly-rejects-northern-ireland-free-abortions-appeal

Humanists UK urges British leaders to allow free NHS abortions for Northern Ireland women

Humanists UK urges British leaders to allow free NHS abortions for Northern Ireland women
June 14th, 2017

Today, the Supreme Court ruled that the matter of charging Northern Irish women to access abortion services on NHS England, which are free women living in Britain, is a political decision. Therefore, the UK Government and, specifically, the Secretary of State for Health, has the power to end this unequal and discriminatory charge. Humanists UK, in response to today’s judgment, is calling upon anyone concerned by the unequal treatment of Northern Irish women to sign its petition urging Theresa May, Nicola Sturgeon, and Carwyn Jones to grant Northern Irish free access to abortion services on the NHS in England, Scotland, and Wales respectively.

Continued at source: Humanists UK: https://humanism.org.uk/2017/06/14/humanists-uk-urges-mainland-british-leaders-to-allow-free-nhs-abortions-for-northern-ireland-women/

Scotland: Women travelling to England for abortions

Women travelling to England for abortions

13 June 2017

New figures show that 180 women travelled from Scotland to England for an abortion last year.

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service said this highlighted the difficulty in obtaining late-stage terminations for women north of the border.

The law currently allows the procedure up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, and 73 of the 180 women who travelled south were at least 20 weeks pregnant.

Continued at link: BBC: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-40257828

Irish Abortion Rates Are Down And It Could Be Because More Women Are Buying Illegal Pills Online

Irish Abortion Rates Are Down And It Could Be Because More Women Are Buying Illegal Pills Online

Difficulty accessing abortion and an increased awareness of online abortion pills could account for the decline in official abortion rates.
Posted on June 13, 2017
Laura Silver
BuzzFeed News Reporter

The number of recorded women who have travelled to abortion clinics in England and Wales from Ireland, where the procedure is illegal, decreased last year.

However, there is concern among campaigners that the decline is due to the number of women who self-administer abortion pills at home to illegally end a pregnancy, as well as women from Ireland travelling to England for an abortion and not giving their home address when they are admitted to a clinic.

Continued at link: Buzzfeed: https://www.buzzfeed.com/laurasilver/irish-abortion-rates-are-down-and-it-could-be-because-women