Pregnant women ‘forced to travel’ abroad for abortion six years after legalisation in Ireland

Women with crisis pregnancies are still “forced to travel” abroad to the UK and elsewhere for abortions, despite the legalisation of abortion six years ago, according to a coalition of women’s, doctors’ and human rights groups.

The groups are calling for urgent action by the Government to ensure the recommendations in a report, published in 2023 by barrister Marie O’Shea – who reviewed the operation of the abortion services in Ireland after the referendum to legalise it – are implemented.

In an open letter to Taoiseach Simon Harris, the coalition says changes needed include decriminalisation, removal of the mandatory three-day wait between when a woman seeks abortion medication and when she can access it. The suggested implementations also include a review of the 12-week gestational limit on accessing medical abortion, and legislation to provide for “safe access zones” around surgeries and clinics providing abortion services.

The review, conducted by barrister O'Shea, was mandated in the 2018 Act. Published in April of last year, the review made a number of significant findings, including the uneven spread of service provision around the country with some regions particularly in the west and southeast, having little to no abortion services.