asked the Minister for Justice the action he is taking with regard to reports that illegal abortionists are operating within the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
33.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Illegal Abortions.
32.
asked the Minister for Justice if his attention has been drawn to reports of abortions being carried out in non-medical centres; and, if so, if he will make a statement on the matter.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 33 together. I assume that the questions arise from a recent newspaper article in which a named priest was reported as having said that some 200 abortions a year are carried out by back-street abortionists in Dublin.
The priest in question has since stated, both publicly on TV and privately in an interview with the Garda Síochána, that he had made no such statement. He further informed the Garda Síochána that the figure 200 might be the result of confusing abortions with the number of pregnant girls looked after by his organisation. He said that, from information available to him he was of opinion that there could have been perhaps five or six illegal abortions but that he had no evidence of the identity of those who would have carried them out.
The Garda Síochána have no evidence that illegal abortions have been carried out either in Dublin or elsewhere in the State.