The number of Irish women who had abortions in Britain during the first quarter of this year was the highest ever recorded, according to figures from the UK Office for National Statistics.
A total of 1,458 woman gave an Irish address when they arrived at a British abortion clinic, which was up 10.2 per cent on the same period the previous year, when 1,323 Irish abortions were recorded.
The figures show only those who disclose an Irish address. Those who prefer to remain anonymous by hiding their true identity do not show up in the figures. Because of this the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) urged caution in the use of the figures.
The IFPA's chief executive, Mr Tony O'Brien, said: "Once again we have tangible proof that Irish abortion is a daily reality and that neither legislative or constitutional prohibitions or the expense of travelling to England has ever or will ever stop Irish women from terminating unwanted pregnancies."
Mr O'Brien said recent research indicated that as many as one in 10 pregnancies ended in abortion and that figure was even higher among women aged 25 or younger.
The IFPA said the figures show an increase only in the number of woman who gave Irish addresses and does not necessarily reflect the true level of abortion.
The increase could either be due to more women travelling for an abortion or the result of more of those women being willing to give an Irish address.
The IFPA said women who previously might not have shown up in the statistics are now being counted.
This could be a consequence of the 1995 Information Act and "reflects the welcome fact that fewer Irish women are travelling for abortions in isolation".
The Government's Green Paper on abortion is to be published later this year.