More than 5,300 women with addresses in the Republic had abortions in Britain last year, up by nearly 9 per cent on 1996, according to the latest British statistics. This was the highest such figure on record. "These statistics are a timely reminder that Irish abortion is a daily reality and no legislative or constitutional prohibition has ever or will ever stop women from terminating unwanted pregnancies," Mr Tony O'Brien, chief executive of the Irish Family Planning Association, which is sued the figures yesterday, said. The statistics, from the British Office for National Statistics, showed that 5,325 women who disclosed Republic of Ireland addresses had abortions in Britain last year. This was up from 4,894 in 1996, an increase of 8.8 per cent. In 1995 the figure was 4,529; in 1992 it was 4,254; in 1990 4,064, and in 1987 3,673.
Mr O'Brien said the figures should be treated with caution. "What they show is an increase in the number of women giving Irish addresses when having abortions in Britain. They do not show the Irish abortion rate and they do not necessarily reflect the true level of Irish abortion," he said.
"This may be the result of an increase in the number travelling or it could be the result of more of those women being willing to give an Irish address.
"It is possible that women who previously would not have been counted are now showing up in the UK's Irish abortion statistics. This is a likely consequence of the 1995 Information Act on termination of pregnancies abroad. Given the overall increase in Irish fertility rates, as evidenced by an increasing birth rate, the real answer may be a combination of these two theories."
The Pro-Life Campaign called on the Minister for Health to re view the 1995 Abortion Information Act "which made it legal to give the names and addresses of abortion clinics and for clinics to advertise in Irish newspapers".
A campaign spokeswoman, Dr Berry Kiely, said since that legal change, the abortion rate had risen "in every single quarter".
A two-pronged approach was necessary: first, to help women with crisis pregnancies "so that they do not feel they have no re sort but abortion" and second, to bring in the right legislative and constitutional measures "so abortion does not become as common in Ireland as in other countries".
Dr Kiely called for the Government "to complete the present consultation process on abortion with a referendum which gives the electorate the option to vote for a legal prohibition on abortion".