Donegal Constituency

For every six babies born in Ireland today, one baby has his or her life ended through abortion – a truly horrifying reality. Ireland’s abortion rate has risen from 2,879 in 2018 to 10,033 in 2023, the latest year for which official statistics are available.

It’s time to end the destructive approach that keeps women in the dark about positive alternatives. It is unconscionable that women are not offered information on alternatives as a matter of course, prior to an abortion. An October 2021 Amárach poll showed that 89% of the public support the idea of women being given the option of accessing this kind of information before an abortion.

Abortion is an irreversible life-altering event for the woman who undergoes one. For many, it results in profound heartbreak and regret.

The unbending control at present over policy and what constitutes ‘best practice’ in this area needs to be challenged and overhauled. Women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy should as standard practice be informed about the full range of options and practical supports available, rather than all the focus being on abortion, as currently happens.

As my local Oireachtas representative, I call on you to support the changes outlined as part of the Positive Pathways campaign and to actively work to see them brought forward.

I look forward to hearing from you with a response to this email.

Yours sincerely,

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