Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he would like to see fewer abortions in Ireland. Last year, over 8,000 took place.
In an interview with The Irish Times, Mr Varadkar was asked about the abortion law review.
“I don’t think anyone thinks that abortion is a good thing. It’s sometimes necessary but it’s not a good thing. There are over 8,000 abortions happening in Ireland every year. I would like that number to be lower”, he said.
He added that he was “sorry” that the report did not “properly explore” why women who attended their first appointment to get abortion drugs did not return for their second after three days.
“Is it the case that hundreds of abortions are being avoided as a result of it? Or, is it the case that women would have gone ahead with it anyway. It hasn’t been properly explored.”
He said he was happy to have led a Government that repealed the Eighth Amendment “but we did go to the people with a particular proposition. And so, soon after that referendum, making changes to what we said we would do … I’d have to think long and hard about that.”