Madam, - Dr J.M. Homan (November 6th) alleges that in my letter of November 2nd I carelessly misquoted the "Statistical Bulletin Abortion Statistics, England and Wales: 2006" to the effect that there were 193,737 abortions on residents of England and Wales, claiming a correct figure of 193,700.
The synopsis on the report's cover gives the rounded figure he cites. However, if he would be kind enough to turn the pages to Table 1, he will find the precise number of abortions is 193,737.
Both Dr Homan and Louise Caffrey (also November 6th) say I admitted that Irish women on average have later term abortions in Britain than residents of England and Wales. This is disingenuous and misleading. I quoted the report that 87 per cent of women from the Republic and 89 percent from England and Wales, undergoing abortions in 2006, had them at less than 13 weeks' gestation. This 2 per cent difference is negligible and insignificant. The abortion lobby has used the "late abortion argument" for decades. But, as Dr Homan might say, science uncovers the truth.
I cannot follow the relevance of Dr Homan's statistical lecture. In my experience doctors are not mathematicians. The figures for births and abortions I used obviously referred to 2006, except for Holland, where the latest figures were for 2005 and I said so. Clinics in England and Wales recorded 5,042 abortions on Irish residents in 2006 - the only reliable figure we have. It is legitimate to compare that figure with the number of Irish residents aged 15 to 44 in the Republic in 2006. The rate is 5.2 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 as opposed to 18.3 per 1,000 women of the same age in England and Wales - a rate three to four times the Republic's.
The hoary argument of women from the Republic giving English addresses or going to Holland or elsewhere gave campaigners leeway to double or triple official figures. There is no proof that this is a significant factor and the same speculation can be used in assessing abortions anywhere. There were 7,435 abortions on non-residents in England and Wales in 2006 (not 7,400, Dr Homan). Dr Homan says: "Experience tells us that the vast majority of these women are resident in Ireland." This is confusing statistical gymnastics. If one adds the Northern Ireland and Republic figures, 85 per cent of the 7,435 women are resident in Ireland. But we are talking about the Republic, not the whole island.
Ms Caffrey calls for free contraception and quality sex education to reduce the abortion rate. Britain has all this and much more. Its abortions and teenage pregnancies are among the worst in the EU and steadily worsening.
One cannot be dogmatic about the true level of Dutch abortions. The first abortion clinic opened in 1969 and abortion was legalised only in 1984. Certain abortions called VEAs (very early abortions) were not covered by the new Act and for years the Government was unaware just how many abortions were performed. More recently, "voluntary" reportage from these "exempted" agencies takes place. Just how effective or comprehensive the reportage is may be open to question. Anyway, accepting Ms Caffrey's figure of nine abortions per 1,000 Dutch residents aged 15 to 44, it is nearly twice Ireland's rate. - Yours, etc,
JOHN O'REILLY, Stoveview Place, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.