Last updated on February 19th, 2024 at 08:04 am
Ireland experienced an alarming spike in abortions in 2023, with estimates suggesting over 10,000 babies were aborted in the country that year. Data from the Health Service Executive showed general practitioner doctors issued claims for 9,218 abortion reimbursements during the first 11 months of 2023. This figure did not include hospital-performed abortions. The actual abortion rate is likely much higher.
Significantly, the number of abortions performed in Ireland has noticeably increased since the practice was legalized at the end of 2018 following a public referendum. Prior to the law change, nearly 2,879 Irish women reportedly traveled to Britain for abortive procedures. However, from 2019 onward, this number surged domestically, increasing from 6,666 abortions in 2019 to more than 10,000 estimated abortions in 2023.
Concerns are being raised about the spike, with critics arguing that the drastic policy shift towards telemedicine has simplified access to abortions. The government now faces calls to consider practical and effective methods to reduce the abortion rate. Critics suggest that the promotion of abortion as the only solution in certain pregnancy cases has left many women feeling betrayed, while alternatives capable of affirming life receive significantly less attention.