Advertisement

More than 3,800 contacts made to crisis pregnancy services last year

More than 3,800 contacts were made to crisis pregnancy counselling services in Ireland last year....
Newstalk
Newstalk

12.41 27 Aug 2019


Share this article


More than 3,800 contacts made...

More than 3,800 contacts made to crisis pregnancy services last year

Newstalk
Newstalk

12.41 27 Aug 2019


Share this article


More than 3,800 contacts were made to crisis pregnancy counselling services in Ireland last year.

36 children under the age of 17 sought help from two organisations.

According to details released to Newstalk under the Freedom of Information Act, there were 3,812 contacts or client visits made to 16 HSE-funded crisis pregnancy services last year.

Advertisement

More than a quarter - 1,070 - relate to the Irish Family Planning Clinic, which has ten counselling centres across Ireland.

Its chief executive, Niall Behan, suggested the numbers were partly the result of the abortion referendum taking place in May 2018.

He explained: "Last year was an exceptional year because of the referendum - many women took the opportunity to come counselling during the abortion referendum.

"Things have returned to normal this year, with the figures in line with other years - even though women can now access abortion in Ireland."

Large numbers also attended other crisis-pregnancy clinics, including in Cork, Killarney, Mayo and the Midlands.

A total of 20 children contacted the Irish Family Planning Clinic last year, while 16 girls called the Youth Health Service in Cork.

You can see the full figures below:

Reporting by Eoghan Murphy

Main image: File photo. Picture by: Yui Mok/PA Archive/PA Images

Share this article


Read more about

Crisis Pregnancy

Most Popular