Decline in number of Irish women travelling to Britain for abortions

FEWER Irish women travelled to Britain to have an abortion last year compared with 2003, according to statistics from the British Department of Health.

The figures showed 6,217 Irish women travelled to Britain to have an abortion in 2004 a 1.7% drop from the figure of 6,320 in 2003.

However, crisis pregnancy groups claimed more Irish women are now travelling to other EU countries to have an abortion, such as Holland, Belgium and Spain, due to the growing cost of accessing facilities in Britain.