Irish women are travelling to EU countries other than Britain to have abortions, partly because it is cheaper to pay for the services in euro, the State's largest family planning charity has said.
The Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) was responding to statistics published today which show the number of Irish women seeking abortions in Britain last year was 6,490, a decrease of 135 on the previous year.
However, the State's largest family planning charity said it believes many Irish women may now be using the internet and greater mobility opportunities to have terminations in other European countries.
Figures released by the British authorities only account for the number of Irish women who give Irish addresses when they attend a clinic for a termination.
These figures have therefore always been considered to err on the low side of the actual numbers of Irish women travelling to Britain for an abortion each year.
IFPA chief executive Ms Catherine Heaney said that while the decrease was of course welcome, it may be a fact that more Irish women are travelling to other European countries to access services there.
"Travelling to Britain for a termination is extremely expensive. Some women now choose to travel to other European countries which where they can pay for their termination in euro."
Ms Heaney said access to the internet and increased mobility of young women means that Britain is no longer the only option for those seeking termination services.
"In order to more accurately measure the success or otherwise of the work of the Crisis Pregnancy Agency in bringing about a reduction in the numbers seeking abortion services, the Department of Health should undertake to compile it's own abortion statistics. This would require statistical feedback from all EU countries to which Irish women travel for abortion services," she said.
"Nonetheless, at face value this decrease is a move in the right direction. It represents the first time since 1989 that there has been a fall in the number of Irish women travelling to England and Wales for abortion services."
The IFPA also welcomed the new breakdown in the statistics that has been introduced.
Up to March 2002, the National Statistics Office in Britain had responsibility for compiling statistics on abortion. This work has now been handed over to the Department of Health and the statistics now include breakdowns for eight age-groups. Previously, there were only three age-group breakdowns, the IFPA said.
The highest number of those who had abortions were in the 20-24 age group, followed by the 25-29 age group. Fifty-four Irish girls under the age of 16 had abortions in 2002 and 269 women were over the age of 40.