100 Meath women travelled to UK for abortions in 2016 alone

Workers’ Party representative for Meath, Séamus McDonagh, has said that the decision by Liverpool Hospital Trust to deprioritise Irish patients seeking to terminate pregnancies which the baby cannot survive when born, shows the hypocrisy of the 8th amendment.

McDonagh, who is also a member of local campaign group Meath for Choice, said:
“100 Meath women travelled to the UK for abortions in 2016 alone. Their reasons are diverse, but almost certainly included women with wanted pregnancies, but who have been given a diagnosis of a Fatal Foetal Abnormality, meaning their baby will never survive when born.

“Such a diagnosis is already devastating, and then they are forced out of their country, away from family, to terminate a much-wanted pregnancy – instead of accessing this procedure at home.”

McDonagh continued:
“Successive Irish governments have turned a blind eye to the reality of abortion in Ireland – and have been able to do so because the UK has acted as a ‘safety valve’ for Irish women. The decision by Liverpool to limit the number of Irish women who access terminations there exposes the hypocrisy of this situation – and shows the necessity of providing all women in Ireland with the healthcare they need, here, at home.”

McDonagh concluded by saying that the situation can only be improved through the removal of the 8th Amendment, saying:
“Women choose abortions for many, complex reasons. One of these is in cases where their much-wanted baby will never survive – and may actually be in pain during pregnancy.

“The only way we can provide dignity and safety to these many women and their partners, is by repealing the 8th amendment and providing free, safe and legal access to abortion.”