Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 24 May 2000

Vol. 519 No. 6

Written Answers. - Abortion Statistics.

Liz McManus

Ceist:

157 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will give the latest figures available on the number of Irish women who had abortions in the United Kingdom; the proportion of the live birth rate this represents; if, in view of the continuing increase in the number of Irish women seeking abortions abroad, he will state the steps, if any, he is taking to reduce the level of crisis pregnancies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14536/00]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The Office for National Statistics, London, has indicated to my Department that statistics on the number of abortions carried out in the final quarter of 1999 will not be available until the end of May 2000. Provisional figures for the period from 1 January to 30 September 1999 indicate that 4,621 women who gave Irish addresses had abortions in England and Wales in that period. This figure is equivalent to 11.3% of the provisional number, 40,813, of births in Ireland in the same period. The comparable figures for the same period in the previous two years are 4,006 in 1997 and 4,473 in 1998, equivalent to 9.8% and 10.9% respectively of births in the nine month period concerned.

When the Green Paper on Abortion was published in September 1999, the Government indicated that it had decided to prepare a programme of measures which it is hoped will address many of the issues which have been identified as contributing to the number of Irish women who have abortions in Britain each year. Additional funding of £1 million in 1999 and a further £1.6 million in 2000 has been provided to the health boards for the continued development of family planning and pregnancy counselling services, including measures aimed at addressing the issue of unwanted pregnancy. Health boards are undertaking a range of initiatives in this area. The type of issues on which boards are being asked to concentrate when developing policy include the provision of services which are accessible to young people and which meet their need in relation to issues such as confidentiality and hours of operation. Educational-promotional activities should focus on such issues as the need for responsible sexual behaviour of young people at risk, increased awareness of pregnancy counselling services and the cultivation of more responsible attitudes to alcohol, with particular regard to alcohol and sexual activity.

Where pregnancy counselling services are supported, boards have been asked to ensure that these are available on a drop-in basis, without any waiting period, and that a choice of service provider is available. Steps to increase women's awareness of post-abortion counselling and of the need for medical check-ups are also being considered. Such check-ups also provide an opportunity for women to obtain advice on appropriate contraception for the future and thereby reduce the incidence of further unwanted pregnancies.

In addition to measures which are being developed by health boards, my Department is at present planning a public awareness campaign which will aim to encourage sexually active young people to be responsible in their attitudes to relationships and to inform and educate them about the issues involved.