It is not acceptable that abortion care is still based on a postcode lottery
A new report which finds Ireland’s abortion law is traumatising women underscores the need for urgent reform, according to Social Democrats Social Justice Spokesperson Holly Cairns.
“A new study from Trinity College, the Unplanned Pregnancy and Abortion Care (UnPAC) study, found Ireland’s abortion legislation is problematic for all women but particularly harrowing for women who receive a diagnosis of fatal foetal anomalies.
“This is borne out by figures published last month which revealed that more than 200 women had to travel to England and Wales to receive abortion care.
“There is a myth that Repeal resolved all of the issues that women experience in trying to access abortion services in this country. The reality is that 90pc of GPs, and eight of our 19 maternity hospitals, are still not providing abortion care.
“It is not acceptable that, despite the overwhelming support for Repeal, abortion care is still based on a postcode lottery. Worse, hundreds of women still have to travel abroad every year to receive the empathetic healthcare they should receive at home.
“There are a number of aspects of the current abortion regime that must change: the three-day wait period; the criminalisation of medics and the overly restrictive legal definition of fatal foetal abnormalities that heaps trauma on top of trauma for women.
“We need to see reform of the legislation as a matter of urgency.”
12 July, 2022
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