Nearly 47,000 Abortions Carried Out in Ireland Since 2019, HSE Report Shows

Dublin: A total of 46,841 abortions have been carried out in Ireland since abortion services were introduced in January 2019, according to the first comprehensive report published by the Health-Service-Executive (HSE) on the country’s abortion services.

The report highlights the significant expansion of abortion care over the past seven years, with increased access through maternity hospitals and GP-led community services.

According to the HSE, all 19 maternity hospitals in Ireland now provide abortion services under the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act. The number of GPs contracted to provide abortion care has also increased from 310 in 2019 to 480.

The report notes that community-based early medical abortion has become the primary model of care, improving access to services across the country.

Annual Numbers Have Increased

In the first year after the legislation came into effect, 6,666 abortions were recorded. By the most recent reporting period, that figure had risen to 10,852.

Dublin recorded the highest number of terminations during the six-year reporting period, with 17,300 procedures, followed by:

• Cork: 4,223

• Galway: 2,067

• Limerick: 1,931

• Kildare: 1,907

The HSE noted that these trends are broadly consistent with patterns seen in England, Wales and Scotland.

Medical Abortions Predominate

The report shows that 81% of abortions were carried out through medical termination, while 19% were performed surgically.

Approximately two-thirds of women underwent abortion procedures between 10 and 12 weeks of pregnancy.

In more than 80% of cases, women referred for secondary care were reviewed within five days, reflecting efforts to ensure timely access to treatment.

The HSE reported that serious complications associated with abortion care remain rare.

Among 305 hospital cases reviewed, only 6% involved significant complications, with the majority relating to incomplete abortion, bleeding or infection.

Service Improvements Underway

The report also outlines ongoing efforts to improve abortion services nationwide.

In 2024, the HSE established a National Service Improvement Group to oversee initiatives including:

• Expanding early pregnancy services

• Improving care pathways for pregnancy complications

• Increasing access to surgical abortion services

• Strengthening national data collection

• Developing updated clinical guidelines

Between 2019 and 2024, ten formal review requests were considered under the legislation. Five resulted in permission for termination, while five upheld the original clinical decision.

The report also references the implementation of recommendations arising from the O’Shea reviews of abortion services.

Pro-Life Campaign Criticises Report

The report has been strongly criticised by the Pro Life Campaign, which argued that it presents an incomplete picture of abortion services in Ireland.

Campaign spokesperson Eilís Mulroy described the report as “selective and sanitised,” claiming it fails to provide the public with a full account of the impact of abortion services.

She also rejected the report’s characterisation of abortion as a routine part of healthcare, stating that “any procedure that ends a human life cannot be regarded as healthcare” and arguing that the issue should not be normalised.

Irish Samachar English