Varadkar to detail number of abortions in first year of Act

Minister for Health Leo Varadkar is to release figures on how many terminations were carried out under the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act.

The legislation has been in existence for a year, and Mr Varadkar is expected to outline the number of procedures that have taken place over the past 12 months.

A spokesman for the Minister declined to comment but confirmed the figures would be provided in the coming days. It is expected Mr Varadkar will inform his Cabinet colleagues tomorrow before laying the report before the Oireachtas.

The number of abortions carried out in Irish hospitals over the past year is said to be quite low.

Under the legislation, the Minister for Health must publish a report covering the operation of the Act each year and lay it before the Houses.

Annual report

The Act was commenced on January 1st, 2014, and its first annual report must be published by tomorrow, June 30th.

The Minister’s spokesman said Mr Varadkar was committed to producing the information in accordance with the Act.

The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act allows for a termination of pregnancy where there is a real and substantial risk to a woman’s life from a physical illness, including from the risk of suicide.

In order for a termination to take place, two medical practitioners will have to examine the woman and jointly certify that the risk to her life can only be averted by carrying out the procedure.

The United Nations recently stated the Act needed to be revised because it lacked clarity for women and clinicians as to what constitutes a threat to a woman’s life.

It called for a referendum to repeal Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution, which guarantees to protect the equal right to life of the unborn and the pregnant woman or girl.

The UN report said: “It is particularly concerned at the criminalisation of abortion, including in the cases of rape and incest and of risk to the health of a pregnant woman, the lack of legal and procedural clarity on what constitutes a real substantive risk to the life, as opposed to the health, of the pregnant woman, and the discriminatory impact on women who cannot afford to get abortion abroad.”

The committee recommends that Ireland hold a referendum on abortion and revise its legislation on abortion, including the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act.

Labour and Sinn Féin have committed to repealing the current legislation but Fine Gael has not stated if it will campaign for it in the upcoming general election.

Fianna Fáil has confirmed it will not campaign in favour of changing the legislation.