Protesters call for decriminalisation of abortion

Protesters calling for the decriminalisation of abortion will this morning stage a protest outside the Dáil.

The women will wear prison jumpsuits and white masks. They are demonstrating after figures yesterday showed that 4,100 Irish women went to Britain for an abortion last year.

The Action on X group has said it does not believe the Government will hold another abortion referendum in the near future.

Protester Alison Spillane said criminalising abortion was pushing some women to desperate measures.

"The latest figures we have, which are from 2009, show Customs seized over 1,200 packs of illegal abortion drugs," she said.

"It's possible that the numbers of people buying those drugs over the internet has increased. We don't know, but it could be a worrying development."