The Irish Government has spent €46 million on the provision of abortion since it was made legal in Ireland “and not a single cent on promoting alternatives to abortion”, according to research by the Pro Life Campaign (PLC) in Ireland.
Based on responses to a series of parliamentary questions submitted by TDs (the Irish equivalent of an MP), the PLC calculated that the Irish Government spent €46 million of taxpayers’ money on the provision of abortion over the last four and half years.
Eilís Mulroy, spokesperson for the PLC, described this spending as “obscene” and “a scandal of monumental proportions”.
From the number of reimbursement payments made to doctors for carrying out abortions, the PLC has determined that 8,876 abortions took place in 2022. There were approximately 6,700 abortions in Ireland the previous year and it is expected that the number will be even higher for 2023.
Mulroy went on to say “It’s not just ‘No’ voters in the 2018 referendum who will be troubled to hear about the amount of taxpayers’ money being spent on abortion. Many of the ‘Yes’ voters who were promised by the Taoiseach that abortion would be “rare” if repeal happened will also be dismayed when they realise what has transpired”.
The Pro Life Campaign have committed themselves to making this a major election issue and want to ensure to the Dáil (the Irish Parliament) has many more pro-life TDs.
“Creating awareness about the importance of ‘thinking pro-life’ before voting is going to be our main focus between now and the next election”, Mulroy added.
A sharp increase in abortions
A highly controversial review of Ireland’s abortion law earlier this year recommended physicians who perform abortions be immune from prosecution if they perform an abortion at any stage of pregnancy.
The review also recommended the scrapping of the three-day waiting period before an abortion can happen.
This is despite the fact that 1,903 women in Ireland did not proceed with an abortion after an initial abortion appointment and a mandatory three-day waiting period in 2022.
Right To Life UK spokesperson Catherine Robinson said “Sadly a pro-abortion mindset seems to have completely taken hold of the Irish Government. Barely five years ago, Irish unborn babies were protected from abortion, now the Irish Government is providing vast amounts of funding to end the lives of its own citizens through abortion”.
