The Republic of Ireland recorded an almost 20% increase in abortions performed in 2023 alone, ending approximately one-sixth of all pregnancies. With a cumulative total of just over 36,000 abortions being conducted in the Republic under the new regime, Ireland’s former standing as a European holdout against state-sanctioned abortion is being overturned.
After an intense government campaign, abortion up to 12 weeks was legalised following a popular referendum in 2018. Pro-life Irish parliamentarians are now warning that the country’s health services are specifically downplaying alternatives for women seeking abortions.
Despite supposed risks to the mother’s life being a major reason put forward by proponents of liberalisation, the Irish Department of Health confirmed in a statement that just 21 abortions were performed last year “due to a risk to the life or health” of the woman.
It is estimated that, because of the legal changes, the abortion rate in the Republic has skyrocketed by 250% in the years since legalisation. That is compared to the number of pregnant Irish women—2,879 recorded in 2018—who opted to travel to the UK to abort their babies prior to being able to do it in Ireland.
While 6,666 abortions were performed during the first year of the new law, this figure has gradually ratcheted up. Establishment MPs (TDs) have objected to a bill enabling pain relief for the unborn and going so far as to propose new legislation to ban pro-life activists outside abortion clinics, a move condemned as an affront to civil liberties.
The spike in abortions appears to be mirrored in Northern Ireland, where abortion was legalised with a vote in the Stormont regional parliament in 2020. There, the number of abortions rose to 2,100—up from 1,600 in the first year after liberalisation.
Uncoincidentally, five years after abortion was legalised, Irish schools are reporting a remarkable drop in pupil enrollments, following a collapse in the total number of live births by 20% in a single decade.
Despite a spiralling number of abortions, the Irish government is adamant about liberalising abortion laws even further. Deputy prime minister (Tánaiste) Micheál Martin has signalled his approval of removing the current mandatory three-day waiting time for women seeking an abortion.
Thousands of Irish pro-life activists will assemble in Dublin on Saturday for an annual rally. They aim to build on a victory in recent referendums designed to further liberalise the Irish constitution by altering the definition of family.
