Ireland – Abortion numbers are in line with predictions

Letter of the Day
Mon Jul 15 2024
by Dr Peter Boylan, Former chair, Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists,

Sir, – Breda O’Brien’s claim that there has been an “astonishing rise” in abortion services accessed by women in the Republic of Ireland since the repeal of the Eighth Amendment is misplaced (“In Ireland, you can tell people abortion figures won’t rise and still be unaccountable when they double”, Opinion & Analysis, July 13th).

The statistic of 3,019 women from the Republic accessing abortion in England and Wales in 2017 refers only to the number of women who gave addresses in the Republic. Many others provided the UK addresses of family, friends or supporters. This practice was well-identified over many years when abortion was illegal here. Similarly, the number of women who used abortion pills prior to repeal cannot be accurately determined.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/2024/07/15/abortion-numbers-are-in-line-with-predictions/

15.07.2024

Savita Halappanavar should not have had to die for reproductive rights to change

Ireland owes Savita Halappanavar a great debt and a great deal of gratitude for making this country safer for other women, writes Liz Dunphy.

FRI, 28 OCT, 2022
LIZ DUNPHY

Wax dripped like tears from flickering candles which burned brightly around a photo of Savita Halappanavar at a vigil for her in Cork in the days after her death.

The people cried too. Women and men, teenagers, parents holding their young children in their arms and by the hand, knowing that Savita could have been them, their daughter, their mother, their sister, their friend.

Continued: https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-40993598.html

28.10.2022

Liz Dunphy

Savita Halappanavar

Simon Harris

Ireland – Mary Favier calls for safe zones around abortion clinics

GP says it is unfair to protest at locations where women access health services

Aug 9, 2021
Vivienne Clarke

Anti-abortion campaigners must not be allowed to set up pickets outside facilities providing abortion services, the former president of the Irish College of General Practitioners has said.

Mary Favier expressed surprise at weekend reports that the Government has dropped plans to introduce safe access zones outside maternity hospitals and clinics providing abortion services.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/mary-favier-calls-for-safe-zones-around-abortion-clinics-1.4642804

09.08.2021

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anti-choice protesters

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Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018

Ireland – Government U-turn on safe access zones at abortion clinics

SAT, 07 AUG, 2021
ELAINE LOUGHLIN, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR

The Government has scrapped promised laws to introduce safe access zones outside maternity hospitals and clinics providing abortion services.

Campaigners have hit out at Health Minister Stephen Donnelly for quietly shelving legislation to protect women and staff from intimidation when entering healthcare facilities, accusing him of "disregarding the electorate" and "disrespecting pregnant women".

Continued: https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40354406.html

Ireland – Coronavirus: Concern crisis could prevent timely access to abortion services

Coronavirus: Concern crisis could prevent timely access to abortion services
Women’s groups say need to visit a GP twice in three days ‘irreconcilable’ with restricted travel

Fri, Mar 27, 2020
Kitty Holland, Social Affairs Correspondent

Doctors and women’s groups are concerned that timely access to abortion services could be compromised during the coronavirus outbreak.

They say the legal requirement that a woman seeking an early medical abortion (before 12 weeks) must make two GP visits, three days apart, is “irreconcilable” with current public health advice to avoid all but essential travel.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/coronavirus-concern-crisis-could-prevent-timely-access-to-abortion-services-1.4213703

Ireland – Renewed call for safe access zones for abortion services

Renewed call for safe access zones for abortion services

Monday, 6 Jan 2020
By Ailbhe Conneely

The Abortion Rights Alliance has used Nollaig na mBan to issue a statement calling for safe and accessible abortion provision. In a statement, spokesperson Charlene Delaney said "many continue to be left behind by the failings in our legislation".

She has accused the Government of failing to deliver or introduce legislation on safe access zones, which it has promised on countless occasions.

Continued: https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0106/1104625-abortion-rights-call/

Ireland – Abortion: Minister warns of exclusion zones after hospital protests

Abortion: Minister warns of exclusion zones after hospital protests
Maternity hospital street protests ‘sickening’ and ‘anti-democratic’, says Simon Harris

Jan 2, 2019
Paul Cullen Health Editor

Local authorities could be given powers to impose exclusion zones outside maternity hospitals preventing anti-abortion protests, Minister for Health Simon Harris has suggested.

Another option Mr Harris said he was examining was to engage with the Minister for Justice in relation to legislation governing intimidation and harassment.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/abortion-minister-warns-of-exclusion-zones-after-hospital-protests-1.4129036

Ireland – Anti-abortion protest sparks renewed calls for exclusion zones

Anti-abortion protest sparks renewed calls for exclusion zones
Simon Harris ‘appalled’ by protest by 100 people outside National Maternity Hospital

Wed, Jan 1, 2020
Paul Cullen

There have been renewed calls for the imposition of exclusion zones outside maternity units after anti-abortion activists protested outside the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin on New Year’s Day.

About 100 people, some carrying small crosses and banners, demonstrated outside the hospital on Holles Street for several hours on Wednesday.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/anti-abortion-protest-sparks-renewed-calls-for-exclusion-zones-1.4128381

Ireland – Less than 15% of GPs sign up to provide abortion services

Less than 15% of GPs sign up to provide abortion services
Doctors providing new service have overwhemingly positive view

Dec 30, 2019
Paul Cullen, Jennifer Bray

One year after its introduction, the number of women using Ireland’s new abortion service remains a closely-guarded secret.

Official figures will not be published until well into next year, but the estimates from those involved in providing the service have been reduced from an initial 10,000 a year to about 5,000. The vast majority are being performed by GPs prescribing pills in the community.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/less-than-15-of-gps-sign-up-to-provide-abortion-services-1.4127530

Ireland – Simon Harris to give free contraceptives to women aged 17-24

Simon Harris to give free contraceptives to women aged 17-24

Stephen O’Brien, Political Editor
December 29 2019, The Sunday Times

Simon Harris, the health minister, is preparing to provide free contraception to Irish women, starting with making the pill, condoms and long-acting reversible contraceptives (Larcs) available for those aged 17-24, in a bid to reduce unwanted pregnancies.

The minister is expected to bring plans to cabinet next month to give free contraception to younger women initially, with the option of expanding the scheme to older age groups after it becomes established. The Oireachtas committee on the eighth amendment recommended that universal access to free contraception be introduced alongside the legalisation of abortion in Ireland.

Continued: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/simon-harris-to-give-free-contraceptives-to-women-aged-17-24-b96wkvwbc

29.12.2019