Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 24 Oct 2000

Vol. 524 No. 5

Written Answers. - Abortion Statistics.

Frances Fitzgerald

Question:

336 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of women with Irish addresses recorded as having abortions in England in each of the years 1995 to 2000; and the breakdown, by age, in each of the years 1995 to 2000. [23191/00]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin):

Figures provided by the Office for National Statistics, London, show that the number of abortions performed in England and Wales on women who gave Irish addresses in each year from 1995 to 1999 and from January to March 2000 is as follows:

1995	4,532
1996	4,894
1997	5,336
1998	5,891
1999	6,226
Jan-March 2000	1,667 (provisional)

The figures for 1998 and 1999 have recently been revised by the Office for National Statistics and differ slightly from those previously available, which were provisional.

A breakdown by age is readily available only for the years 1995 and 1996 and the information is as follows:

Age	1995	1996
Under 16	25	28
16-19	673	738
20-24	1,763	1,871
25-29	943	1,107
30-34	561	608
35-39	382	351
40-44	162	171
45+	23	19
Not Known	–	1

My Department has recently requested the Office for National Statistics to provide a similar breakdown for the years 1997 to 1999 and I will forward this to the Deputy when it is received.