Crossing the sea for an abortion

DUBLIN, Republic of Ireland -- Despite the existing legislation in the Republic of Ireland which bans abortion, there remains one place where women seeking a termination can go -- abroad.

For many years there has been a steady flow of Irish women travelling overseas for treatment.

One of the main destinations has been the UK, where abortion has been legal since 1967.

An estimated 7,000 women crossed the Irish Sea for an abortion last year, and the trend is rising.

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The figures, however, are based only on women who give Irish addresses to the clinics involved, and it is believed that the actual total could be much higher.

"A tremendous number of women I know have had abortions and don't speak about it," Rosanna Flynn, a Dubliner who travelled to England for an abortion in 1993, told The Associated Press.

Irish Family Planning Association Chief Executive Tony O'Brien says the figures provided a timely reminder that abortion is "a daily reality" for many Irish women.

Even though abortions are not available in Ireland apart from exceptional circumstances, the pro-life lobby is also against the legal right, given in a 1995 Act, for women to be given advice about abortions abroad.

The Pro-Life Campaign blames the Act for the increasing number of women travelling abroad for terminations.

It says if the government is serious about reducing the numbers of abortions, "the disastrous effects of the Information Act must be acknowledged."

O'Brien said the 1995 Act had a "huge impact on the willingness of women to discuss their unplanned pregnancies."

Kate, a Dubliner, travelled to London for an abortion five years ago.

"It was a big shock when I got pregnant at 24 through contraceptive failure," she told the London-based Guardian newspaper.

"I felt I had already made the choice to use contraception and was still entitled to have that choice.

"No woman chooses to have a crisis pregnancy but it's bad enough without being made to feel like a criminal. The government and church have no right to ruin women's lives with their moral judgements."

Women on waves

While Irish law and society frowns on abortion, a landmark ruling in 1992 by Ireland's Supreme Court upheld the right of a suicidal 14-year-old rape victim to have an abortion abroad.

As a result of the case, constitutional referendums confirmed the rights of Irish citizens to travel and to receive information about overseas abortion facilities.

In December 1997, a 13-year-old rape victim was at the centre of another abortion controversy.

The teenager -- a member of the travelling community who has been in the care of the Irish health authorities -- was given the right to go to Britain for a termination by the High Court after the court was told that there was a risk of suicide.

The issue of Irish women leaving the country for an abortion was raised again when a Dutch-based organisation -- Women On Waves Foundation -- offered abortions at sea.

Its boat, the Aurora, sailed to international waters 12 miles off the Irish coast.

While no abortions were carried out, the foundation said it had 80 applications from women.