The number of women who have sought referral to dedicated post-termination mental health or counselling support through the HSE was 111 for the first quarter of 2026, with 468 referrals in 2025.
Independent TD Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health for the information as part of a Parliamentary Question seeking the numbers for each year since 2019 when the 2018 Act legalising termination of pregnancy came into effect.
The HSE responded with the following figures:
Year Post Abortion Counselling (new Clients) 2019 243 – 2020 237 – 2021 315 – 2022 326 – 2023 265 – 2024 314 – 2025 293 – 2026 (Q1) 46
Post Abortion Counselling (new and existing clients) 2019 562 – 2020 549 – 2021 718 – 2022 696 –
2023 492 – 2024 805 – 2025 468 – 2026 (Q1) 111
It said, “The numbers included in the ‘new and existing clients’ category are based on quarterly reporting
statistics and include clients seen in multiple quarters. For example, if a client was seen in two quarters
they would have been counted twice. The figures included for ‘new clients’ are therefore more accurate.
All pregnancy and abortion related counselling funded by the HSE is provided by professionally trained, accredited counsellors.”
Speaking to Gript, Sandra Parda of the Life Institute said: “This massive spending on advertising post abortion services shows how abortion hurts women.”
The State is spending hundreds of thousands in taxpayers’ money to end the lives of innocent pre-born children when, in reality, that money might be spent to help their mothers feel they have the support behind them to keep their baby.”
“Along with this huge spending, we have seen politicians vote to remove the only window of protection a defenceless unborn child has when they stripped away the three-day-wait, which has been shown to give women breathing space before making what is a totally irreversible decision which many will later regret.”
“The government is funding and propping up a vicious cycle where abortion is offered to women who feel vulnerable, and when the procedure leaves them hurt and feeling empty emotionally, they are offered counselling. There is a better way to help women in crisis, and we feel that this is not it,” she said.
Deputy Nolan also asked whether the pre-termination counselling protocols mandated under the 2018 Act require the provision of evidence-based information on foetal development at each stage of gestation up to 12 weeks, the physical and psychological risks of the procedure, and details of non-directive support services including adoption and financial assistance for continuing the pregnancy.
In response, the HSE stated that, “The My Options service, funded by the HSE, provides free, confidential listening support and non-directive counselling to individuals experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. The helpline is staffed by experienced, professionally accredited counsellors, and the approach is entirely client-led. The MyOptions helpline provides the following supports free of charge:
It said that, “All women who choose to have an abortion have a pre-abortion consultation carried out either in a GP surgery that provides abortion services, a family planning clinic that provides abortion services or at a women’s health clinic that provides abortion services.”
“ During this consultation, the woman is provided with information on the procedure, potential risks and complications and offered counselling along with contact details of the My Options service to arrange an appointment. Unplanned pregnancy information and resources are also publicly available on the HSE website.”
“Following an abortion, all women are offered a free post abortion check -up with the GP or doctor who provided the pre abortion consultation. My Options also provides a 24/7 nursing line to women who require medical support. Post-abortion counselling is available free of charge to women and their partners, regardless of when the abortion took place. A referral is not required to avail of the service.”
Deputy Nolan also asked the Minister for Health the total Exchequer funding allocated specifically to
the provision of termination of pregnancy services (broken down between community/GP settings
and hospital settings) in each year since 2019 to date; and to compare this with the annual funding
provided to crisis pregnancy support agencies and adoption services in the same period.
The HSE provided a response stating that “the funding allocations for ToP services since the service commenced on the 1st of January 2019.”
In 2019, this included €11.5 million, which encompassed €7 million for implementation of the service in acute hospitals and €4.5 million for implementation of the service in the community.
2020: €9.5 million.
“In 2020, an additional €5 million was provided for implementation of the service in acute hospitals and an additional €4.5 million for implementation of the service in the community.”
In 2022, an additional €0.2 million was added, with an additional €0.6 million added on in 2024.
The HSE stated in reply that “within primary care, registered medical practitioners who wish to provide termination of pregnancy services enter into a contract with the HSE. They are reimbursed through the Primary Care Reimbursement Scheme (PCRS) for consultations provided to patients.”
It said that in the acute hospital sector, development funding has primarily supported the recruitment of additional staff across multiple sites to implement the service.
It says these resources include consultant obstetricians and gynaecologists, midwives, nurses, ultrasonographers, theatre staff, bereavement specialists, administrative personnel, medical social workers and pharmacists.”
“While these posts were funded through the introduction of termination of pregnancy services, they are now integrated within existing gynaecology and maternity services. As such, staff typically carry broader responsibilities across women’s health services, with termination of pregnancy forming one part of their role.”
“Funding has also supported improvements to the physical environment in some hospital sites, including privacy enhancements and necessary equipment upgrades.”
The reply included the total expenditure on the HSE My Options information campaign since 2019, including creative development, research, media buying and associated campaign costs, inclusive
of VAT as:
2019 €152,871
2020 €120,000
2021 €155,322
2022 €95,071
2023 €144,423
2024 €160,118
2025 €79,094