Irish women need safe and legal abortions

WHEN the Supreme Court delivered its judgment in the X case on March 5, 1992, Mr Justice Niall McCarthy delivered a scathing critique of the legislative branch of Government.

Referring to the 1983 constitutional amendment on abortion, he said: “The failure by the legislature to enact the appropriate legislation is no longer unfortunate, it is inexcusable. What are pregnant women to do? What are the parents of a pregnant under-age girl to do? What is the medical profession to do?”

Fifteen years later, there is still no legislation, but there are, as usual, thousands of Irish women travelling to Britain every year to have safe, legal abortions.