New Ireland Figures Show Fewer Women Going to Britain for Abortions

International   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Jun 19, 2008   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

New Ireland Figures Show Fewer Women Going to Britain for Abortions

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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
June 19
, 2008

Dublin, Ireland (LifeNews.com) — New figures from the British government show fewer woman traveling from Ireland to the UK for abortions. A leading pro-life group welcomed the downward trend and said it was the sixth year that the statistics showed fewer Irish women in Britain for abortions.

The latest Irish abortion figures released today by the British Department of Health show 4,686 Irish women traveled to Britain for abortions in 2007.

That’s down from 5,042 for the previous year and is the sixth year such abortions have declined after more than a decade of upward trends.

Commenting on the latest figures, Dr. Ruth Cullen of the Pro-Life Campaign told LifeNews.com, "Obviously the Pro Life Campaign welcomes the downward trend in Ireland’s abortion rate."

"At a time when abortions in England and Wales have increased significantly, the drop in the Irish rate proves that upward trends are not inevitable," she added.

Cullen dismissed notions that the number of abortions dropped because Irish women are traveling further to other European nations instead of heading next-door to England.

"There is no statistical evidence to substantiate such claims," she contends. "Holland is often cited as a country where more Irish women may be traveling to for abortions. However, official Dutch figures over the past 5 years show little variation in the number of abortions on foreign nationals."

Though her group celebrated the abortion decline, Dr. Cullen told LifeNews.com more needs to be done to help pregnant women in Ireland so they are more inclined to keep their baby instead of having an abortion.

"Despite the latest reduction, we must continue to do more as a society to further reduce our abortion rate," she said.

"The Crisis Pregnancy Agency, in particular, has a responsibility to prioritize funding recognized counseling agencies, which provide real and genuine alternatives to abortion," she concluded.

Ireland, one of the few nations in Europe to make abortions illegal, recently came under criticism from the Council of Europe.

The pro-life group Family & Life in Ireland worries Ireland’s constitutional provision on the right to life of the unborn looks set to be challenged again by the pro-abortion Irish Family Planning Association.

Related web sites:
Ireland Pro-Life Campaign – https://www.prolifecampaign.ie

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