ABORTION IN IRLAND

Abortion is against the law in Ireland unless the pregnancy endangers the life of the woman. If
you decide to terminate your pregnancy, you will have to travel to another country to access
safe and legal abortion services.
Legally the IFPA can provide you with information on abortion services abroad in a face-to-facecounselling session. It is not legal to provide this information over the telephone.

Abortion & Irish Law

Abortion is legal in Ireland only when a pregnant woman's life is at risk. This includes
the risk of suicide.

Access to abortion in such cases is governed by the Protection of Life During

Pregnancy Act 2013. The Department of Health has issued guidelines for health professionals
on the implementation of the Act.

Abortion is not legal in Ireland in cases of rape, incest or foetal anomalies.

Abortion is also criminalised in most circumstances in Northern Ireland.

There are some pregnancy counselling services whose sole purpose is to prevent
women from having abortions. They misinform and intimidate women to achieve their aim. If
you have been in contact with one of these agencies please contact the IFPA pregnancy
helpline 1850 49 50 51.

Travelling Abroad to Access Abortion Services

Women cannot be prevented from travelling to access safe and legal abortion services
in other countries.

Every year an estimated 5,000 women travel abroad to access safe and legal abortion
services.

Most Irish women travel to Britain, where abortion is legal, up to 24 weeks of pregnancy,
within certain conditions

You have the right to:

Request information on abortion services in other countries from your health care
provider or crisis pregnancy counsellor.

Receive information on abortion services in other countries as part of a face-to-face

counselling session on all your options (parenting, abortion & adoption).

Travel to another country to access safe and legal abortion services.

Access free pregnancy counselling, free post abortion counselling and free postabortion medical check-ups in Ireland (funded by the State).
Be treated with dignity and respect at all times.

En Irlanda se est librando una lucha por el acceso al

aborto legal y sin riesgos. He aqu seis datos que ponen
de relieve el verdadero impacto de la draconiana
legislacin irlandesa sobre el aborto.
1. En Irlanda slo se permite el aborto en caso de peligro de muerte.

El aborto est prohibido, salvo en los casos en los que existe riesgo para la vida de la
persona, pero no cuando lo que se pone en riesgo es su salud. La definicin de riesgo es
limitada e imprecisa. En consecuencia, es casi imposible abortar en Irlanda.

2. Infringir la ley irlandesa del aborto puede acarrear 14 aos de crcel o

una multa de 4.000 euros.
Si una mujer aborta de forma ilegal en Irlanda, puede ser condenada a 14 aos de crcel.
Por su parte, los proveedores de servicios de salud que remiten a las mujeres a servicios
de aborto en el extranjero se enfrentan a multas de hasta 4.000 euros.La ley irlandesa del
aborto criminaliza a las mujeres, a las nias y a los profesionales de la salud que tratan de
ayudarlas.

3. Las mujeres deben llevar a trmino su embarazo aunque el feto no vaya a

vivir.
Si una mujer est embarazada, la ley irlandesa la obliga a llevar a trmino el embarazo,
aunque el feto tenga pocas posibilidades de sobrevivir. Grainne resume el trauma que
supone esta experiencia: "Qu clase de crueldad sera hacerme pasar por esto [...],
hacerme pasar el embarazo entero, tener leche materna, que todo el mundo me pregunte
de cunto tiempo estoy? [...] Cmo pueden creer que eso no afecta mentalmente a una
persona?".

4. El derecho a la vida del feto tiene prioridad sobre el de la madre.

La octava enmienda a la Constitucin Irlandesa, introducida en 1983, protege el derecho a
la vida del feto y lo equipara al derecho a la vida de la mujer. Muchas de las mujeres y
profesionales de la salud que hablaron con Amnista dijeron que, inevitablemente, los
derechos de la mujer acaban quedando en segundo plano. Lupe, una mujer que se vio
obligada a llevar un feto muerto en su vientre durante dos meses, nos dijo: "Cuando una
mujer se queda embarazada en Irlanda, pierde sus derechos humanos".

5. Irlanda no tiene inconveniente en que las mujeres aborten, siempre y

cuando no lo hagan en Irlanda.
Segn la ley irlandesa, es legal viajar al extranjero para someterse a un aborto, lo que ha
suscitado crticas que acusan a Irlanda de exportar sus responsabilidades en materia de
derechos humanos. Emma Kitson, que viaj a Reino Unido para abortar porque su feto
padeca una malformacin mortal, dijo: "Nos merecamos tener apoyo dentro del sistema
de atencin a la salud irlands, para superar esto. Exportan el problema y se olvidan de ti
por completo".

6. Cada ao, unas 4.000 mujeres y nias viajan a Reino Unido desde Irlanda
para someterse a un aborto.
Y muchas de ellas se sienten como si fueran unas delincuentes por hacerlo. En palabras
de Cerys, que viaj a Reino Unido para abortar: "Soy una ciudadana que respeta la ley y

me sent como si estuviera cometiendo un delito, como si pasara drogas al otro lado de la
frontera. Esa sensacin fue horrible".
Una mujer que quiere abortar es una mujer que intenta conseguir la atencin mdica que
necesita, #noesunadelincuente. Pide a Irlanda que cambie su legislacin sobre el
aborto. Firma nuestra peticin hoy mismo.
"Mi cuerpo mis derechos" es la campaa global de Amnista en favor de los derechos
sexuales y reproductivos.

I had in my two weeks

embryo
died
because
Ireland refused to have an
abortion '

The doctors refused to give curettage after finding that her fetus had no
heartbeat
Ireland allows abortion only if the life of the mother is in danger
Amnesty International campaign for the British country to legalize abortion
except in cases of rape, fetal malformation and risk to women's health

What is it? 8th Amendment

The Eighth Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1983 was effected after a
referendum which asked Irish people to vote on the States abortion laws.
In order to make a change to the constitution, a referendum has to be held. This
was done on 7 September 1983.
The wording of the amendment is:
The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due
regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to
respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate
that right.
The Amendment acknowledges the right to life of the unborn, equating it with the
mothers right to life.

Will we see a referendum on the repeal of 40.3.3?

In February of this year, Tnaiste Joan Burton effectively ruled out the
possibility of a referendum in the lifetime of this government on abortion in certain
cases (rape, incest, and fatal foetal abnormality).
It remains to be seen whether we will see a referendum on the repeal of 40.3.3 in
the near future.

Usually not a country of protesters, Ireland saw thousands of people take to the
streets divided into two camps pro-life/anti-abortion and pro-choice.

The legal aspects

First off, abortion is illegal in Ireland.
The only exception is when there is a real and substantial risk to the life of the
mother. This includes a risk arising from a threat of suicide, which was initially
allowed for under legal precedent set by a 1992 Supreme Court ruling in what was
widely known as the X Case. In 2013, the government legislated for this ruling with
the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act.
In the subsequent guidance for medical practitioners, hospital doctors are told
to fulfill a number of requirements before certifying an abortion. In the case of a
physical illness to the pregnant woman, two doctors must sign off on a termination,
jointly certifying that there is a real and substantial risk of loss of her life and that
this risk can only be averted by a termination of pregnancy.
They both also need to confirm that they have had, in good faith, regard to the
need to preserve unborn human life where practical.
In the case where there is a risk to life because of suicidal intent, more
requirements are necessitated by law.
Three doctors two psychiatrists and an obstetrician must examine the woman
and jointly decide that there is a risk to her life that can only be averted by a
termination of the pregnancy, having regard to the need to preserve unborn human
life.

One of the psychiatrists is seen first. If he/she believes the womans condition
satisfies the requirement of the Act, then she will see the second psychiatrist who
must agree with the first if an obstetrician is to become involved.
The Health Service Executive said it can ensure this process happens in a timely
manner.
It is illegal in Ireland to have an abortion in the case of lethal foetal abnormality. It
is alsoillegal to carry out an abortion in cases of rape and incest.

Abortion information and travelling abroad

It is completely legal to provide information to people in Ireland about abortion
services abroad. However, this is subject to strict conditions as set out in the 1995
Abortion Information Act. The Act does not permit just anyone to give information
on abortion and lays down rules for those people or agencies who do provide it.
Names and addresses of abortion clinics abroad may be made available by doctors,
specific agencies or individual counsellors. The rules apply to all providers of
information but a distinction is made between information that is provided for the
general public and information that is made available directly to a pregnant woman
by a doctor or an advisory service.
It is also legal for women to travel abroad to avail of abortion services. A doctor in
Ireland then has a duty to provide care, support and follow-up services for those
women on their return.
However, it is illegal for a doctor or a one-to-one counsellor to encourage or
advocate an abortion in individual cases. It is also unlawful for a doctor to make an
appointment with a clinic on behalf of a pregnant woman.
Legal cases taken
The landmark X Case came in 1992 after a 14-year-old girl became pregnant after
being raped by a man known well to her family. The victim and her parents decided
to travel to the UK to undergo an abortion.
The family informed the Garda of their plans and asked whether the foetus could
be tested after it was aborted to provide proof of the paternity of the accused in the
rape case. After being asked his advice on the matter, Attorney General Harry
Whelehan obtained an interim injunction to stop the termination in order to
protect the Constitution.

The High Court upheld the injunction but an appeal to the Supreme Court was
successful and Miss X was granted leave to travel for a termination. The presiding
judge deemed that the risk of life to the girl was not less than the danger to the right
of life of the unborn.

READ: A timeline of the X Case>

Just five years later, a similar case arose when a 13-year-old girl, who became
known asMiss C, became pregnant after being raped. She was taken into the care
of the Eastern Health Board, and requested an abortion. The EHB was granted an
order to allow for an abortion abroad but this was challenged by Miss Cs parents.
The High Court found that she was entitled to a lawful abortion here on the grounds
that her life was at risk because she was suicidal and that risk would increase as her
pregnancy advanced. Despite being legally granted an abortion in Ireland, the
health board brought Miss C to the UK for the termination.

Ley actual del Aborto 2014 -Enero

El aborto en Espaa es legal, y se rige por la Ley Orgnica 2/2010 de
salud sexual y reproductiva y de la interrupcin voluntaria del
embarazo, que entr en vigor el 5 de julio de 2010.
Los principales puntos de esta ley que debes conocer son los siguientes:

Se fijan los 16 aos como la mayora de edad para abortar. Las

embarazadas menores de edad tendrn que informar al menos a uno de sus
representantes legales (padre, madre o tutor) si toman la decisin de abortar.
Sin embargo, no ser necesario informar a los progenitores si se alega coaccin,
situacin de violencia familiar, malos tratos, amenazas, o se produzca una
situacin de desamparo.
Esta ley garantiza la interrupcin voluntaria del embarazo siempre y
cuando se realice por un mdico especialista, ya sea en un centro sanitario
pblico o uno privado acreditado. Existe una red de clnicas privadas
acreditadas que estn en constante coordinacin con los servicios pblicos
que garantizan el buen ejercicio de esta prestacin. Con nosotros puedes
buscar la clnica IVE ms cercana a tu lugar de residencia.
Hasta las 14 semanas de embarazo, todas las mujeres mayores de 16
aos pueden elegir abortar.
Excepciones: el embarazo se podr interrumpir hasta la semana
22 si existe riesgo para la vida o salud de la embarazada, que existan graves
anomalas en el feto o se detecten anomalas incompatibles con la vida.
Los profesionales sanitarios directamente implicados en la interrupcin
voluntaria del embarazo tienen el derecho a ejercer la objecin de
conciencia. En este caso el personal sanitario debe notificarlo por escrito

anticipadamente para garantizar a la mujer el ejercicio de la prestacin por

otro facultativo.
En todo caso, esta ley garantiza a toda mujer sin discriminacin de
ningn tipo la prestacin del servicio de interrupcin voluntaria del embarazo
en los trminos anteriores.