Women 'accessing abortion pills online'

IRISH WOMEN are accessing abortion pills over the internetwithout the benefit of medical support or guidance because ofIreland's failure to face up to the reality of unplannedpregnancies, Dr Mary Favier of Doctors for Choice told a meeting ofthe UCC Philosophical Society in Cork last night.

Cork-based GP Dr Favier, who was opposed the motion "That thishouse would not legalise abortion" said: "There are very strictguidelines that you should not take abortion pills after nine weeks.The concern we would have is that Irish women can be desperate.

"They can break the rules and take it later than that."

However, in supporting the motion, Prof William Binchy of TrinityCollege Dublin, Ireland achieves safer outcomes for mothers than incountries with greater resources and a liberal abortion regime.

Prof Binchy, who is a Regius professor of Laws, said the SupremeCourt decision in 1992, which found terminating a pregnancy islawful where the life of a mother is at risk, had not been based onany expert medical evidence.

"The Supreme Court decision mentioned no time limits.

"To give effect to that decision would involve abortion ofchildren at all stages of pregnancy", he said.

Independent Senator Ronan Mullen, also speaking in support of themotion said that any satisfactory settlement of the abortion issuerequired a referendum.

Senator Mullen stated that there was a tendency in some sectionsof the media to bemoan the fact that Ireland has had full-scalenational debates on abortion on numerous occasions.

"It remains a fact that any satisfactory settlement of this issuewill require a referendum. There is a simple reason for this:democratic legitimacy."

He added that among the new features of this discussion would bethe emerging voices of Irish women who have had abortions and"regretted their decision", the voices of younger people whoseparents contemplated abortion but changed their minds.