A Pro Choice protestor in the UK (Picture: Cate Gillon/Getty Images)THIRTY one Irish women had their pregnancies terminated in Britain after the legal limit of 24 weeks had passed, under a special exemption clause.
The 2014 figures compare to 16 such late terminations which took place in 2013 and 27 over the course of two years in 2010 and 2011.
Revealed by Britain's Department of Health this week, the figures also showed that the number of women who travelled from the Republic to clinics in Britain for abortions up to 24 weeks rose to 3,735 in 2014 from 3,679 the previous year.
Of those who travelled for abortions last year, 2,958 were "white Irish", while the rest were from different nationalities, including Indians, Chinese and other Asian backgrounds, as well as from continental Europe.
The DOH said there are "some circumstances" where the law permits an abortion beyond 24 weeks – such as when a substantial risk of serious physical or mental handicap exists.
The majority of abortions took place at between three and nine weeks into the pregnancy.
