Hundreds of women travelling to Holland to end pregnancies
Hundreds of Irish women are opting to travel to the Netherlands for abortions -- although the numbers going to Britain to end their pregnancies in 2007 fell for the sixth year in a row.
Until now, the only abortion statistics for Irish women were from UK clinics and newly released figures yesterday showed 4,686 had terminations there last year. This compared with 5,042 UK abortions for Irish women in 2006 and indicates a fall for the sixth year in a row.
However, the Crisis Pregnancy Agency revealed 445 women with Irish addresses had abortions in the Netherlands last year.
"Anecdotally, the clinics have reported they have only seen a significant number of Irish women attending for abortions procedures in the Netherlands since 2006," a spokesperson said.
In 2006, there were 461 abortions carried out on Irish women in the Netherlands and 42 in the previous years. It found the numbers going to other countries such as Spain and Belgium were extremely low -- less than 10 women travelled there between 2005 and 2007.
Pregnancy clinics say cost is a factor and while an abortion in the UK can cost over €700, it can be €300 cheaper in the Netherlands.
Allowing for the trend of women going to countries other than the UK, the overall abortion trend among Irish women appears to be falling.
Increase
However, last year there was an increase in the number of Irish girls 16 years or younger having abortions in the UK -- 47 compared with 39 in 2006.
The number of women aged 40 or over who had terminations went up from 200 in 2006 to 209. There was a fall in all other age groups.
One in seven of the women who had UK abortions were more than three months pregnant at the time. As many as 2pc were five of more months into pregnancy.
Eight in 10 women had abortions at under 13 weeks gestation.
The reasons women opted for abortion rather than motherhood are not clear.
In the mid-1990s, it became legal here to give women the names and addresses of abortion clinics. Considerable investment has also be made in counselling services.
Monitored
Katherine Bulbulia, chair of the Crisis Pregnancy Agency -- the state body which funds pregnancy counselling clinics -- said it was important the numbers of women travelling to abortion clinics in countries other than the UK were monitored.
Agency director Caroline Spillane said crisis pregnancy counselling services here have been expanded by 50pc since 2001.
"The agency has seen a marked increase in the number of women who attend crisis pregnancy counselling throughout the country."
She suggested the increased take up and fall in UK abortions suggested the wider availability of services was having an impact.
Commenting on the UK figures, the Pro Life Campaign said it welcomed the Irish downward trend, pointing out the rate in England and Wales was upward.
"Despite the reduction, we must continue to do more to further reduce our abortion rate," a spokesperson said.
- Eilish O'Regan Health Correspondent
