Sir , – "Safe, legal and rare." The official mantra before the referendum on abortion in May 2018. Now that the Government figure for notified terminations in 2019 is available (News, Jukly 1st), would anyone consider a count of 6,666 to be rare? – Yours, etc,
SINÉAD BOLAND,
Kilmacanogue,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – There will undoubtedly be people trying to represent the 6,666 abortions carried out in Ireland in 2019 as a jump in the number of people having abortions. In fact, all it represents is the true number of Irish people who were having abortions all along, a number previously hidden and exported by our shameful ban on abortion. The only difference is that now they can finally get reproductive healthcare in their home country without all the secrecy and shame.
It’s more important now than ever that we introduce a comprehensive sex education in our schools if we’re serious about reducing the number of people needing access to abortion services. – Yours, etc,
JESS LYNCH,
Mahon, Cork.