The Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) today launched a campaign calling for the introduction of legal abortion services in Ireland to tackle the issue of crisis pregnancy.
The IFPA also published its comprehensive policy position on abortion. Within the 13-point policy, the IFPA calls for the removal of Article 40.3.3 from the Constitution and says that abortion is a decision that should be made by a woman in consultation with her medical advisor.
Speaking at the launch were from left; Catherine Forde IFPA Chairperson and Ivana Bacik, Campaign Spokesperson.
Announcing details of the campaign, the IFPA's Chairperson, Catherine Forde said: "this campaign is of unique significance, as it represents the first major initiative aimed at moving forward on abortion in this country.
She added that previous campaigns on abortion have always been lead by "anti-choice groups seeking further regressive and unworkable responses to abortion".
Ms Forde said the campaign was "all about ending the hypocrisy of exiling women in crisis pregnancy that choose to have an abortion".
The IFPA claim that 6,217 women travelled form Ireland to England to have abortions and that many were went to France, the Netherlands and Spain to have the procedure.
However, Ms Forde said that abortion was not an appropriate method of family planning and it should therefore only act as a solution to a crisis rather than as a means of regulating a woman's fertility.
The campaign will also seek to meet with political leaders to try and get a commitment to move on the issue of abortion. It will also launch a website that will provide details of how the public can get involved, either through becoming an activist of donating money.
Niall Behan, IFPA ceo of the association, said no public money would be used to fund their campaign.
Meanwhile, the Pro-Life Campaign said it will "vigorously oppose" any attempt to introduce abortion legislation.
Ms Audrey Dillon of the Pro-Life Campaign said: "The IFPA has a record of ignoring the humanity of the unborn child and the adverse effects of abortion on women. Those seeking an abortion regime in Ireland have a tendency of engendering fear into the debate. The reality is that Ireland without legal abortion ranks among the safest countries in the world in which to be pregnant.
"Rather than feeling pressured into introducing abortion legislation we should reflect on how other countries are slowly beginning to question how they have for too long denied the humanity of the unborn child and the emotional harm endured by many women following abortion," she added.