60 percent of people in Ireland now support abortion on request

A new Red C poll has echoed the recommendations of the Citizens Assembly, showing a huge shift in public thinking towards abortion access.

60 percent of people in Ireland said they believe that women should have access to abortion on request, either outright or within specific gestational limits. According to Amnesty International who commissioned the polling "People’s support is broadly consistent across all age groups, regions and demographics." 89 percent of people believe women should have access to abortion when their health is at risk, 85 percent when the woman is pregnant as a result of rape and 81 percent where there is a diagnosis of a fatal foetal abnormality. 57 percent felt women should have access to abortion if their socio-economic circumstances made it difficult for them to have another/a baby. Colm O’Gorman, Executive Director of Amnesty International Ireland said the poll shows that the tide of public opinion is turning in favour of women's human rights,

“This poll demonstrates yet again, that on the issue of abortion, people overwhelmingly favour expanded access to abortion. A substantial majority (60%) want women to have access to abortion on request which gives a clearer picture of the kind of legal and medical abortion framework the Irish public want. The poll also shows just how strongly the public support access to abortion in other circumstances, such as when the woman’s physical or mental health is at risk."

Mr O'Gorman believes that politicians are out of touch with the public's mood when it comes to abortion access and the 8th amendment.

"Some political and media commentators continue to paint abortion as a controversial or divisive issue. It is not. They claim that people in Ireland would not support the recommendations put forward by the well-informed members of the Citizens’ Assembly, who overwhelmingly voted for women to have access to abortion on request in early pregnancy and in specific circumstances thereafter. Today’s poll shows that they are incorrect.  Public support varies on the precise gestational limits, but it remains solidly behind women making their own decisions about their pregnancies. This new information on public attitudes to abortion must inform the ongoing work of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment."

This poll shows that Irish people are more compassionate and knowledgeable than some of our politicians would give them credit for. There was widespread shock in political circles at the findings and recommendations of the Citizen's Assembly, with many believing that the outcomes would not be supported by their constituents. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said in September that he didn't think there was widespread support for abortion access,

 “I honestly don’t know if the public would go as far as what the Citizens’ Assembly have recommended."

The findings of the Red C poll are a clear indication that the Irish public do not want women and other pregnant people to have to travel abroad to access essential healthcare. Mr O'Gorman believes that politicians need to reflect on the results of the poll,

"In light of this poll, public representatives must seriously question the assumptions and prevailing narratives which lead them to think people in Ireland do not support wide-ranging reform. While public opinion should never excuse states’ violating women’s rights, the Irish public is firmly in favour of women’s bodily and reproductive autonomy. The Government, Oireachtas and all political parties must recognise this reality, and put forward a framework for access to abortion which put women’s health, human rights and autonomy at its core".

Photos by Andrew Galvin.