Vol. 557 No. 6
46 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of women from Ireland having abortions in the UK according to the latest figures available for each of the three previous years; the amount of funding provided for the Crisis Pregnancy Agency in 2002 and proposed for 2003; and when an annual report of the agency will be presented to and debated in the Oireachtas as recommended by the all-party Oireachtas committee on the Constitution. [22798/02]
The UK Department of Health compiles statistics on the number of Irish women who have abortions in England and Wales each year. The number of abortions performed in England and Wales on women who gave Irish addresses, in each of the previous three years is as follows: 1999, 6,226; 2000, 6,391; 2001, 6,673.
The allocation to the Crisis Pregnancy Agency for 2002 was €6.5 million. However, as the agency was not fully operational until mid-2002, only €2.5 million expenditure will be incurred in the current year. The allocation for 2003 is being considered in the light of available funds. The agency's first annual report will be produced early in 2003 and in accordance with Article 18 (1) of the statutory instrument establishing the agency, S.I. No. 446 of 2001, I will have it laid before each House of the Oireachtas.
