Significant rise in abortions in Ireland as over 10,000 terminations of pregnancy reported in 2023

This compared to 8,156 terminations of pregnancy carried out in 2022 under the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018.

Last year, 21 procedures were carried out due to a risk to life or health of the mother under the grounds set out in Section 9 of the Act.

Seven terminations were completed where there was a risk to life or health in an emergency situation.

Another 129 were due to a fatal foetal abnormality and 9,876 medical abortions were carried out in early pregnancy.

The annual report on terminations for 2023 released by the Department of Health indicates that the months with the highest number of terminations carried out were May (902 notifications), January (878) and March (874). The month with fewest notifications was February (683).

The HSE also submitted a report showing two applications for review were received and carried out last year.

Both of the applications were found to have met the requirements for a lawful termination of pregnancy.

The highest number were in Dublin at 3,645 terminations followed by Cork at 873 .The lowest was in Leitrim at 47 and Monaghan at 74.

Meanwhile, the annual cost of providing medical abortions through GPs and hospitals is now €7.4m a year, new figures show.

It includes €5.6m in GP payments and medications with €1.7m spent on terminations in hospitals.

The costs provided by the HSE are the first time the funding for abortion services have been detailed since the legislation liberalising abortion, the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, came in to force.

It allows for unrestricted medical abortion up to twelve weeks through a GP service and termination in cases of fatal foetal abnormality. This is defined as a condition likely to lead to the death of the foetus either before or within 28 days of birth.

The HSE said costs for the community based termination of Pregnancy in 2022 was €5.6m and includes GP fees, medications as well as other areas such as training, running the My Options freephone helpline and translation services.

The hospital termination costs amounted to €1.78m the same year, the HSE said in a response to Independent Ireland TD, Michael Collins.

Meanwhile, six additional hospitals started providing termination services in 2023, an increase of 55pc.

Termination services in early pregnancy are currently provided in 17 of the 19 maternity hospitals, with the remaining two expected to come onboard this year.

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