Just 10% of GPs are delivering abortion services amid 'fear of prosecution'

National Women’s Council of Ireland director Orla O'Connor explained that half of Irish counties have less than 10 GDs offering abortion services. Picture: Leon Farrell/Photocall

Just 10% of GPs are delivering abortion services as the threat of criminal sanctions hangs over those offering the service, the Oireachtas health committee has been told. The fear of prosecution “sits in the consultation room between a patient and doctor”, according to the Irish Family Planning Association’s (IFPA), policy and research officer Alison Spillane.

The National Women’s Council presented data to the committee showing a type of postcode lottery for services with good accessibility highlighted in Cork, Galway, Wicklow, and Dublin only.