State paid for teen’s abortion abroad
The Health Service Executive, which succeeded regional health boards last autumn, confirmed a teenager had been taken to Britain for an abortion.
The HSE would not discuss details of the case to protect the anonymity of the girl in their care, however, a court order was secured for the termination.
If females in care have been victims of rape or incest, health boards, and now the HSE, can make court applications to take them abroad for abortions.
It is not clear on what grounds the 2005 termination was sanctioned.
The Labour Party has again called on the Government to fulfil the promise it made in March 2002 to legislate for the Supreme Court X Case after the abortion referendum it called failed to clarify the position fully.
The 1992 X Case provoked national soul-searching when a 14-year-old rape victim was initially prevented by the High Court from travelling to Britain for an abortion. Following the case, the Supreme Court ruled an expectant mother had a right to an abortion here if there was a substantive risk to her life, including the threat of suicide.
The Government tried to have the threat of suicide eliminated as grounds for an abortion in the contentious 2002 referendum, but this was defeated.
Health boards provided funds to allow two teenagers to travel to Britain for abortions between the time of the 2002 referendum and March 2003.
Labour health spokes-woman Liz McManus said the absence of legislation means doctors dealing with crisis pregnancies only have the Supreme Court judgment for guidance.
“Irish doctors in Irish hospitals can perform a termination in rare cases where it’s necessary to save the mother’s life, but they would be doing that under the protection of the Constitution, not the protection of legislation, which is what they need,” she said.
The call for changes to legislation comes in the wake of the latest snapshot poll on Irish opinion of abortion, carried out last autumn by the Irish Examiner, which showed voters aged under 35 are overwhelmingly in favour of legalising abortion - pointing to a major change in the Constitution within the next decade.
The national survey revealed a dramatic split on the issue along age lines. The pro-life option would still win a referendum by a margin of 47% to 36%. However, pro-choice appears to be the wave of the future, with those under 35 strongly in favour.
Almost half that age group, 49%, want women to be able to access terminations in the Republic. Just 32% of 18 to 24 year olds would oppose the move, rising slightly to 35% among 25 to 34 year olds.
After that, the situation effectively reverses itself with 48% against legalisation and 35% in favour.
The Coalition Government indicated before the last referendum the State would fund abortions for teenagers in care who were victims of rape or incest.
At the time, then Health Minister Micheál Martin said people voted for the right to travel in 1992 and the State could not stop parents bringing their children abroad for abortions.
Pro-choice groups say more than 100,000 women have travelled to Britain for abortions since 1983.
