More men than women support X case law
The debate about abortion in Ireland made international headlines after the death last October of Savita Halappanavar.
The 31-year- old Galway-based dentist, originally from India, died after her miscarriage was mishandled and she developed fatal sepsis.
The story made headlines around the world after it emerged medics at the hospital had concerns over when they could legally intervene to remove her foetus — which had no chance of survival — without falling foul of the abortion laws.
In June — more than 20 years after the X case judgment in 1992 — the Government signed the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill into law.
The Irish Examiner/ICMSA survey of farming attitudes found, despite retaining a very high level of Mass-goers, some 63% of farmers either agree or strongly agree that abortion should be permitted when the life of the mother is at risk, up to and including suicide.
Some 20% of farmers said they were opposed to the provision.
Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, a far larger percentage of women (28%) were opposed to the abortion provision than men (18%).
Support for abortion was strongest among Sinn Féin voters, with 78% broadly supporting the provision, followed by Fianna Fáil (62%), Fine Gael (61%) and Labour (55%).
Support for the provision was also far stronger in some parts of the country than in others. For example, in Tinahealy in Wicklow, a remarkable 81% of farmers surveyed were in favour of the provision — significantly higher than the most recently quoted national figure of 75% support.
Athenry in Galway and Tullamore in Offaly, were in line with the national figure at 75%.
Out of the eight areas surveyed, in just one were a majority of people against the abortion provision. In Skibbereen, 45% said they were against the introduction of the abortion provision with just 39% in favour.
Support for the abortion provision is most strongly felt by younger farmers, under 35 years old, at 70%. The least support was cited by farmers over the age of 65, although it is nonetheless still quite healthy, at 58%.
An Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll carried out in June, found that 75% of the population were in favour of an abortion law based on the judgement in the X case.
It also found that a majority of voters would back wider access to abortion than proposed in the legislation.
People over 65 were the least enthusiastic about the provision of abortion in the country at 60% favouring the legislation.
Those in the 25 to 34 age bracket were the most strongly in favour of abortion legislation but support was nonetheless strong in all age cohorts.
