HSE’s decision to gather more comprehensive data on abortions taking place - a very welcome move, says PLC

News this week that the HSE has developed a national system to gather much more comprehensive data on abortions taking place has been warmly welcomed by the Pro Life Campaign.

The data collected will include the gestational stage that the abortion happens and any post abortion complications that may arise, impacting the health and lives of women.

In August, The Irish Times reported that a new data collection system was being established but the full details of what it entails were only released this week in response to a parliamentary question from Michael Collins TD.

In a statement, Eilís Mulroy of the PLC said: “We warmly welcome the latest news. The Pro Life Campaign has been calling for the past seven years for a more comprehensive and transparent system of data collection with regard to abortion. While we continue to call for a complete overhaul of the factors that have tragically led to over 10,000 abortions each year in Ireland, we are pleased that the importance of having more detailed information is finally being recognised and implemented.

“Until now, the Department of Health has only released crude figures - basic year-on-year totals of the number of abortions carried out. This information gap has impaired researchers and policymakers from getting a clearer and more accurate picture of abortion in Ireland, which is essential for analysing trends including risks and dangers to women’s health and wellbeing.

“Ideally, this new system should have been in operation since the new law took effect in 2019. Several TDs tabled an amendment to the abortion bill in late 2018 that would have achieved just that but the then Government refused to give way on the point. However, it’s better late than never having more oversight for what’s going on.

Take the reported case of the woman in Limerick who almost died following complications from an undetected ectopic pregnancy, two weeks after her medical abortion. It’s just one example that highlights the need for greater transparency and collection of data to identify and track what precisely is taking place under the law and, and in this particular case, whether better ultrasound scanning should be mandated across the country,” Ms Mulroy concluded.

The reluctance until now to collect meaningful data on abortions taking place was driven, most likely, by a fear among those in power that greater transparency might erode public support for Ireland’s new abortion regime. The HSE’s change of heart - if nothing else - signals an acknowledgment that keeping such information hidden was no longer tenable.

Among the things that will be included in the new data collection system are: the gestational stage that the abortion takes place; any post-abortion complications; numbers presenting to hospitals following an early medical abortion (EMA) overseen by a GP. The HSE reply made it clear that the new system will not collect any patient-identifiable information.

Pregnant woman allegedly punched and told to abort her baby on Dublin Bus

A pregnant woman was allegedly assaulted in an unprovoked attack on a Dublin Bus last week, when a man punched her in the face and stomach, shouting at her to abort her baby. The suspect, a 45 year old man, is said to have launched the sudden attack without warning. The accused has been granted bail after appearing in Dublin District Court.

The court was told that the woman was sitting at the back of the bus when the accused allegedly approached her, “screamed at her to abort the baby” and struck her in the face and stomach. Other passengers had to restrain the man until gardai arrived and arrested him.

On an almost weekly basis, we are reporting on incidents in this newsletter concerning the growing prevalence of attacks on pregnant women in society at large. Despite the mounting evidence, no government taskforce has been established to investigate and address the situation.

Adjourning the latest case for DPP directions, Judge Paula Murphy banned the man from using public transport as part of his bail conditions.