26 terminations carried out in Ireland under new abortion law

Last year saw 26 terminations take place under the country's new abortion law, according to a government report released on Monday.

Fourteen of those terminations were due to a risk to the life of the mother arising from physical illness, three arose from a risk to the life of the mother from suicide, and nine from a risk to the life of the mother from emergencies arising from physical illness, the report said.

Ireland's Health Minister Leo Varadkar said that on the basis of the notifications received by his department, the evidence indicates that the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Act 2013 is working and that the hospitals are compliant with the notifications requirement under the act.

The information published on these procedures is restricted in order to limit the risk of identification in what is a private confidential matter between patients and their doctors, he said.

In Ireland, abortion is illegal unless it occurs as the result of a medical intervention performed to save the life of the mother. It is a controversial issue in the country and five national referendums have been held on the topic in the last 30 years.

The majority of Irish women seeking a termination choose to travel to the UK. The UK has liberal abortion laws allowing abortion up to 24 weeks.

Last year, Ireland passed a new law allowing abortion under certain circumstances. The new law provides for a woman's right to an abortion if her life is at risk.