About 79 per cent of Irish people favour the availability of abortion in certain circumstances and 62 per cent say these women should be facilitated at home, according to a poll released yesterday.
Also yesterday, the Medical Council discussed the all-party Oireachtas Committee report on abortion. Although a considerable period of time was believed to have been spent on the issue, the president of the Council, Prof Gerard Bury, would only confirm that the discussion "advanced" the issue. He said the council would release a detailed statement at a later date.
The poll of 1,200 people was carried out between March 8th and 20th by Lansdowne Market Research on behalf of the umbrella group Abortion Reform. It asked which, if any, of seven circumstances respondents thought abortion should be allowed in Ireland; 79 per cent selected at least one circumstance.
Some 52 per cent said it should be allowed "when the woman's life is at risk by the continuation of the pregnancy"; 47 per cent agreed in the case of rape or incest; 41 per cent when the pregnancy would cause irreparable damage to the health of the woman; 37 per cent when the woman was at risk of suicide; and 23 per cent when the foetus had a disorder that was incompatible with life.
Nineteen per cent said abortion should be available when a woman believed that, for her, it was the right choice; and 6 per cent for reasons such as family size, economic and social circumstances.
Sixteen per cent said abortion should not be available for any reason whatsoever.
Respondents were asked whether the women who travel to Britain for abortion should be facilitated in this State: 22 per cent said all women should be facilitated at home, 40 per cent said some, and 31 said none.
The poll indicated low support (17 per cent) for a referendum on the question of banning abortion except where pregnancy threatens a woman's life.
Meanwhile, the promoters of the Dutch "Women on Waves" ship said they did not expect surgical abortions to be carried out on the vessel when it visits Ireland this month.
Details of events to coincide with the ship's visit are available from Women on Waves Ireland, PO Box 8306, Dublin 1; tel 087-9220902; or www.womenonwaves.org