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6,666 abortions carried out last year under laws enacted after repeal of Eighth Amendment

These are the first official figures published since Ireland’s liberalised abortion laws came into effect from 1 January 2019.

THERE WERE 6,666 terminations of pregnancy carried out last year under legislation enacted following the repeal of the Eighth Amendment.

The vast majority of these, 6,542 terminations, were carried out in the first 12-weeks, official figures show.

In a further 100 cases, an abortion was carried out due to a condition that was likely to lead to the death of the foetus, according to the Department of Health. 

In 12 cases, there was a risk to life or health of the mother, and in three cases, there was a risk to life or health in an emergency case. 

The figures also provide a county-by-county breakdown: Dublin, Cork, Kildare, Galway, Meath, Limerick and Louth have the highest figures.

TOP county

It also gives a breakdown by month, with the highest number of cases in January of last year.

In 69 cases, no date was given and in 525 cases, no county or place was given.

Following a 66% vote in favour of repealing the Eighth Amendment in a 2018 referendum, Ireland’s abortion laws were liberalised; a Citizens’ Assembly held before the referendum discussed what new system should be put in place so that citizens knew the proposals they were voting on. 

The new abortion services provided for in the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018, in place from from 1 January last year, allowed for medical and surgical abortions up to 12 weeks based on the pregnant woman’s decision, and in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities. 

As most abortions up to 9 weeks can be carried out through taking pills, the majority of abortions (an estimated 80%) were expected to take place through GP practices or at a local clinic.

As part of the rollout of these abortion services, a review is to take place of how they are being used; the publication of these figures is a part of that review.

Although abortion services are available in all of the country’s 19 maternity hospitals or units, just 10 of those have implemented the service in full.

By the middle of last year, conscientious objections had caused problems implementing full abortion services in at least four maternity hospitals/units. This is where healthcare professionals can opt out of providing abortions.

Some abortion services were already legal under the Eighth Amendment – namely, in cases where the mother’s life was at risk.

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    Mute Not_Rod_Ten©
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:06 PM

    All those dinosaurs will have died for nothing if the electric car wins

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    Mute M
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:12 PM

    Ok explain.

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    Mute Not_Rod_Ten©
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:19 PM

    The self sacrifice of those great extinct animals and plants will be in vain if I can’t use them to power my V8

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    Mute George Salter
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    Jan 5th 2016, 1:06 PM

    Off by a couple of hundred million years. Good effort though…

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    Mute new phone who dis?
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    Jan 5th 2016, 11:56 AM

    This is how far technology has come yet I still can’t get a text back…

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    Mute Beachmaster
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:12 PM

    2018….. Consumers being warned about Chinese cars catching fire while charging.

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    Mute Cathal McDonald
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    Jan 5th 2016, 11:56 AM

    It looks shite

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    Mute GameOverMan
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:47 PM

    Another totally impractical space-age design that we’ll never see on the roads. Why do we keep dreaming up this kind of car? Surely by now we know that the futuristic look is just a sci-fi fantasy.

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    Mute John Collins
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:46 PM

    Looks rubbish. Old cars are way better.

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    Mute Edward Cullen
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    Jan 5th 2016, 1:51 PM

    Nothing in the article about power or weight.

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    Mute Dean Anderson
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:56 PM

    Oh yeah this car will be a runaway success definitely. It’ll be up there with the DeLorean in no time at all. Wow I cant wait to buy one it looks so practical and cool and everyone is gonna want one. This is definitely a red letter day in motoring history… zzzzzz

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    Mute bacoxy
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:02 PM

    Faraday so close!

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    Mute Wilson I'mSorry
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:45 PM

    A hidden front for VW perhaps

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    Mute Gary
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:36 PM

    We have Faraday future and Tesla electric, will it be Volta or Maxwell next, or maybe Ampere, Gauss, Coulomb or Davy.

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    Mute dowthebow
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:51 PM

    Already have the volt, mitsi I think

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    Mute Uncle Denise
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:10 PM

    That tail looks great on the car

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    Mute Mark Sheridan
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    Jan 5th 2016, 12:58 PM

    There show casing things that they will use on there everyday cars when production starts. I think the phone in the steering wheel is a very simple but great idea. Some cars these days are like a cockpit of an airplane with that many buttons, climate control, Music system’s, GPS and god knows what else. Most of which is already on a smartphone in one way or another and usually people with them know how to use them.

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    Mute reece plunkett
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    Jan 6th 2016, 3:08 AM

    Good luck getting that over the ramps in ireland

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    Mute Colm O'Leary
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    Jan 5th 2016, 4:13 PM

    I’m just waiting for the apple i-car to be released.

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