Chief executive of Dublin Well Woman says no State aid to help low-income women travel for abortions

The chief executive of a Dublin crisis pregnancy support service has said she is not aware of any State financial aid available to help low-income women travel abroad to obtain an abortion.

Alison Begas, chief executive of the Dublin Well Woman Centre, said the London-based Abortion Support Network was the only resource she knew of that provide funding for women in Ireland who could not afford to travel abroad for an abortion.

The young woman at the centre of the recent abortion controversy became suicidal after she was told that the estimated cost of travelling to England for a termination could total more than £1,500 (€1,880).

A spokeswoman for the Department of Social Protection said it had no role in the provision of support services for women in crisis pregnancies.

“Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, the department may make a single exceptional needs payment [ENP] to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional and unforeseen expenditure,” the spokeswoman said.

“While there is no departmental guidance under the scheme that would exclude providing assistance to a person incurring travel expenses – such as when visiting a family member in hospital – ENPs are not paid in relation to medical treatment or any other need that comes under the responsibility of another Government department or agency.”

The Abortion Support Network UK has supported about 1,500 women from the Republic, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man since its foundation in 2009. The charity is funded through donations from private individuals and receives no support from any government. It is run by a team of volunteers and one part-time staff member.

Director Mara Clarke said the charity raised money to help Irish women to pay for the combined cost of medical procedures and travel. Volunteers take into account each woman's financial situation when determining the appropriate level of assistance. The only criteria used are financial need and the availability of funds.

According to Ms Clarke, raising money for a procedure was usually a joint effort with the woman who approached them for help, but “in some cases the entire cost of the procedure and travel is paid for” by the charity.

In 2013 the organisation provided grants ranging from £20 to £1,000. Ms Clarke said no woman who had approached the charity within the past several years had been unable to obtain a termination abroad for financial reasons, although a number of women were unable to travel for other reasons.

The group provides services other than funding. For women who need to stay in the UK overnight, it has a network of volunteers willing to put women up in their homes. Last year the organisation raised £33,798 in donations. Ms Clark said that since the death of Savita Halappanavar, it had not had to turn down a woman due to lack of funds.