There was another big increase in the number of abortions as 10,033 of the procedures were carried out in Ireland last year, the highest number ever, according to figures released by the Department of Health.

This compared to 8,156 in the previous year while, in the first full year of the law’s operation in 2019, there were 6,666 terminations. In 2018, a little under 3,000 Irish women went to the UK for abortions.

The vast majority of the abortions, 9,876, were in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy when the procedure is available on demand and no reason is needed.

Meanwhile, the annual cost of providing drug-induced abortions through GPs and hospitals is now €7.4m a year. Drug-induced abortions use the abortion pill and induce a miscarriage. Other abortions are performed surgically with the child being killed in the womb before being extracted.

It includes €5.6m in GP payments and medications with €1.7m spent on terminations in hospitals.

The costs provided by the HSE are the first time the funding for abortion has been detailed since the 2018 Act legalising it came into force.

Commenting on the figures, Pro Life Campaign spokesperson Eilís Mulroy said: “The colossal 250% increase in abortions since the new law took effect is extremely troubling”.

She added that the “lack of concern” shown by the Government towards this tragedy of seeing 1 in 6 babies’ lives end in abortion “needs to end”.