Miss D case underlines hypocritical approach

THE “Miss D” abortion case has again highlighted the adolescent stage in which we, as a nation, are entrenched.

By refusing to recognise the estimated annual 6,000-plus cases of Irish women travelling to Britain for abortions, the country is effectively sticking its head in the sand and damaging the image of the developed, grown-up state we are trying to sell to the rest of the world.

The argument that having abortion or termination procedures — or whatever else we may feel least uncomfortable calling it — available in this country give rise to increased promiscuity and greater transmission of STIs does a great disservice to the population as a whole.