2,000 Fewer Abortions Carried Out Last Year Compared To 2020

53 abortions carried out on the grounds of a fatal foetal anomaly.

There were 2,000 fewer abortions reported to the Department of Health last year compared to 2020.

The third annual report on terminations shows there were 4,577 in 2021.

Under the current law, GPs and hospitals must notify the Department of Health of an abortion and the grounds it was approved.

Latest figures show 4,513 early medical abortions were notified to the department last year.

There were 53 abortions carried out on the grounds of a fatal foetal anomaly, nine due to a risk to the life or health of the mother, and two on the grounds of a risk to the life or health of the mother in an emergency.

The Department has said there was also a significant decrease in notifications from May through to August.

It said this coincided with the cyberattack on the HSE - and saids that's likely to have led to the large reduction in notifications during that period.

The Abortion Rights Campaign spokesperson Helen Stonehouse said: “The amount of abortions carried out in Ireland last year underscores the consistent demand for quality, accessible abortion care in every county.

"Overall, the number of abortions is broadly similar to 2019 and 2020, and once again, people from every county in Ireland accessed abortion services.

"The gaps in data collection mean that direct comparison of grounds-based access is not possible.

“It is also important to note that the HSE data released today only includes the provision of abortion overseen by clinicians.

"It does not account for the growing trend towards self-managed abortion through the use of abortion pills obtained online, nor does it include those who have been refused abortion care in Ireland.

"Again from the UnPAC report, we know that at least 225 people have imported abortion pills from Women on Web.

"The reasons cited for importing pills included abusive relationships, lack of accessible provision, and undocumented migrant status (a PPSN is required to access abortion without cost).

"This indicates that legislative barriers most significantly impact marginalised groups, leaving them without adequate healthcare.

"More and better abortion provision is needed at regional and local levels to respond to current and future demand for abortion," she added.

Aontú Leader and Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín commented:“ In the last three years just under 20,000 unborn babies were aborted.

"That’s the equivalent of 840 classrooms of children who are not here with us today because of the abortion law. Deregulation of abortion in Ireland and efforts to normalise abortion by the government have seen the abortion rate spike by 70% in just 3 years”

“Every living human being should be protected. Every living Human Being should have Human Rights. Human Rights are by definition universal.

"Right now in Ireland women are forced to give birth homeless, but the government will guarantee mothers the price of an abortion.

“The Committee on the 8th Amendment heard that 85% of abortions happen because of Socio- Economic reasons. 

"We need as a society to give mothers real and positive choices. That means providing the necessary socio economic supports to be able to raise their children to their full potential.

"We need to guarantee to mothers access to housing, to childcare, to a collocated maternity hospital that protects the lives of mothers.  There have been 20,000 abortions in Ireland in the 3 years since the law was changed .

"And despite all the talk at the referendum in those three years the socio economic options available to tens of thousands of young mothers has radically disimproved," he added.