'Postcode lottery' abortion services remain five years after repeal 

Labour councillor Emma Cutlip with an airplane prop highlighting the fact women are still forced to travel for abortion care at the National Women’s Council photocall outside Leinster House ahead of the fifth anniversary of the repeal of the Eighth Amendment. Picture: Stephen Collins/Collins 

Eight out of 19 maternity hospitals in Ireland are still not providing  abortion care “in line with the law", according to the National Women’s Council (NWC).

The council said there was abundant evidence that significant legal barriers to abortion access remain, despite the repealing of the Eighth Amendment five years ago.

The NWC said there was an inconsistent provision of abortion services countrywide, with eight out of 19 maternity hospitals still not providing abortion care.

The council also said women in need — including those with fatal foetal anomaly — are not cared for and that health professionals can be prosecuted for providing abortion care after 12 weeks in these cases.

NWC also called for the scrapping of the mandatory three-day waiting period to access an abortion — which it says has no medical value and delays access to time-sensitive healthcare.

NWC Director Orla O’Connor said the Government was given a “clear mandate” five years ago to provide access to abortion.

“While many women have been able to access this care since 2019 and this is applauded, there are too many women and pregnant people who still don’t have access due to systemic barriers, particularly the most marginalised,” she said.

Ms O’Connor said there was a “restrictive legal framework” in addition to a “postcode lottery” of abortion services, which was unacceptable.

“Repealing the Eighth didn’t mean abortion access only for some women and not others — the provision of abortion services needs to be consistent and equitable,” she said.

The council launched an e-action campaign on Wednesday calling on the public to engage with local politicians and urge for political commitment to reform following the independent Abortion Review report from Marie O’Shea, which recommended removing the three-day wait.

The review also found an “uneven geographic coverage” of services countrywide.

Describing the report as a “milestone,” NWC Women’s health coordinator Alana Ryan called for political follow-through on evidence-led reform.

“Both Spain and the Netherlands have recently removed barriers to bring their abortion laws more in line with the medical evidence and human rights norms. Ireland’s review is over and we now need our politicians to embrace evidence-led legislative reform too.

“NWC believes the health committee has the necessary expertise to provide strategic guidance and direction to the wider Oireachtas on this crucial area of women’s healthcare, and must not shy away from this responsibility,” she said.

Labour senator and Oireachtas health committee member Annie Hoey said it was “shameful” that five years post repeal, women are still travelling for abortion services.

“We know that many women are still travelling for access to services — more than 200 women and girls travelled to Britain for abortions in 2021, an increase compared to 2020. This is not what the electorate voted for in 2018.

“There are many reasons cited for the need to travel, including the restrictive nature of the 12-week rule, which is particularly challenging in the case of women seeking to terminate their pregnancy on medical grounds,” she said.

Ms Hoey said “huge issues” remain around the spread of services nationally, adding that the lack of GPs providing abortion services outside of main urban areas was posing difficulty for women. She said there were 13 counties in which fewer than 10 GPs provide abortion care, while some counties have no GPs providing the services.

“GPs who are providing abortion services often have huge waiting lists, which pushes many women over the 12-week period, forcing travel and making an awful time even more traumatic. GP intervention is extremely important to ensure women have support for any aftercare they may need,” she said.

Ms Hoey called for an end to the three-day wait and urged the Government to “trust women and girls”, saying women from rural areas were having to make “lonely” trips to local cities for care making an already vulnerable time “even more challenging”.