165 terminations were recorded in Co Wexford
A NEW report from the Department of Health has revealed that a total of 165 terminations of pregnancies were recorded in Wexford last year.
The report found that, from January 1 to December 31, 2019, Wexford had the largest amount of terminations in the south east, with neighbouring Co Waterford recording 149, Co Kilkenny 96, Co Carlow 74 and Co Wicklow 138. However, is important to note that in 525 cases, a woman’s county of residence was not recorded in the interest of privacy.
More than 68% of people in Wexford voted in favour of repealing the eighth amendment in the historic 2018 referendum. The subsequent Act, setting out the law governing access to termination of pregnancy, permits termination to be carried out in cases where there is a risk to the life of the foetus, serious harm to the health of the pregnant woman as well as without restriction up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. The act also allows for emergencies, where there is a medical condition present which is likely to lead to the death of the foetus either before or within 28 days of birth.
Nationally, in total 6,666 terminations were recorded by the Department.
Health risk, emergencies or serious harm accounted for 124 terminations nationally, while the majority (6,542) occurred in early pregnancy.
January proved to be the busiest month for terminations in 2019, with a total of 625 recorded.
There has been mixed reaction to this new data and Aontu Councillor Jim Codd from the Rosslare Municipal District described these figures as a tragedy both for Wexford and the nation.
‘It’s a very sad state of affairs when women feel that they have no other option than to take this course of action. It’s a huge comment on our society and on the provision we have for expectant mothers.
‘When you see 1,152 council housing applications went in and only 497 were granted, people obviously feel very stuck and unsupported. We in Aontu want an Ireland where the weak and the vulnerable, such as the unborn children, the immigrant, the traveller, feel support and empathy and do not have to take this terrible course of action. I’ll continue to campaign on this as I think this is a very sad day as these 165, are people who will not be here.
‘There have been many things in the history of mankind that later people found were unacceptable. Although we may be small in number at the moment, that doesn’t in any way lose the value of our argument, philosophically or ethically,’ said Cllr Codd.
‘We believe in standing up for the weakest in society and we will always be a voice to show empathy across the board, whether it’s the people of rural Wexford who feel very much abandoned, like the small farmer or the fisherman. We will continue to speak loud on their behalf, whether it’s the unborn or any of the other marginalised groups,’ he said.
Former People Before Profit councillor and member of the Together For Yes campaign Deirdre Wadding said that the statistics need to be looked at in detail, pointing out that we have nothing concrete to compare them to.
She said the figures do not include those who may have taken abortion pills at home, travelled abroad or given false names.
‘We need to look at this relative to population and the child-bearing female population, and those who would have travelled previously.
‘It is a reality of life that some pregnancies are going to be crisis pregnancies and for some women, they need to make those tough choices about whether to end their pregnancies. I say this as a mother who loves children and I have my own background having been in a mother and baby home in the early 1980s. Women must make those decisions for themselves and, if there’s a long-term partner, in consultation with them and a medical advisor. The only one thing that has changed since the referendum is the fact that a woman can do that in her own town or country without having to be shipped off like a pariah.
‘This is a movement forward and a good thing for women that they have that full range of options now without the trauma of having to go abroad. I have my own story, every woman has her story and to be quite honest, it’s nobodies business what decision she makes.
‘Not every woman in a crisis pregnancy is going to make the decision to have an abortion, that idea that they are going to do this for the most trivial and flimsy of reasons does a disservice and a disrespect to women.
‘Women make decisions for good reason and weigh everything up, but I don’t know that in small rural places the stigma attached will have lifted. It’s important that these things are trashed out and discussed so that women can be more open now, post the referendum’.
Ms Wadding expressed some concern for the future, highlighting the newly formed government.
‘Getting to where we are now is not something that came easily or overnight; it was a long sustained journey and the campaign lasted years but the fact that political groups from different backgrounds pulled together and worked on this, that united front was really important.
‘I’m a little concerned that there are people in the new cabinet that were anti-repeal, and I of course wonder what will that mean for legislation down the line. In some places, we need to look at how this all rolls out into the future so that women can get access at their GP or local hospital to whatever medical services they need without fear of stigma’.
If anyone is in crisis or concerned about an unplanned pregnancy, information is available in confidence from the HSE on myoptions.ie.