Crisis Pregnancy Agency Announces €2.77m Funding Allocation
The Crisis Pregnancy Agency – the body established to reduce the number of crisis pregnancies in the state – has announced the allocation of €2.77m* in funding to improve supports for women experiencing crisis pregnancy. The funding, according to the Agency’s Chairperson Olive Braiden, has been allocated mostly to front line agencies and will result in a direct and immediate benefit for women. The announcement was made on the occasion of the official opening of the Agency’s new premises today (28).
Ms Braiden confirmed that a major part of the Agency’s work will involve researching the causal factors behind crisis pregnancy and taking actions to address these. According to Ms Braiden the issues of deepest concern to the Agency include:
• ineffective sex education at primary and post primary level
• alcohol abuse especially among young adults and its link to unprotected sex
• low contraceptive use and ignorance of sex and reproductive issues
• regulation of crisis pregnancy counselling services
‘Crisis pregnancy is a long standing reality and has never been comprehensively addressed by way of state policy’ according to Ms Braiden. ‘Reducing the high level of abortions – 6,673 last year – is just one aspect of our work. A wider challenge for the Agency is to address the serious social stigma of unplanned pregnancy outside of marriage. We will have to change attitudes in order to build a culture of care, service and compassion.
‘Research indicates that the decision making process of many women who have had an abortion centres on the woman’s assessment of her ability to care for the child. The top three reasons for making this decision included: the child’s needs, stigma of lone parenthood, career and job related concerns,’ she said.
In the year since its establishment the Agency has already commenced a consultative process for the development of an overall strategy. This includes the analysis of some 250 submissions from the public and interested parties. ‘The Agency will move quickly to produce a framework for the development of a strategy,’ said Ms Braiden.
The Agency is also finalising plans for a major national campaign aimed at making accurate, straightforward, confidential information on all options for the resolution of a crisis pregnancy available to all women.
Guest of Honour at the official opening Mr Ivor Callely T.D. acknowledged the complex range of issues surrounding crisis pregnancy and announced the membership of a Consultative Committee designed to provide specialist advise to the Agency. Chaired by board member Dr Linda Hogan, membership is drawn from:-
Pregnancy counselling services, Adoption Services, Providers of family planning/sexual health services, General Practitioners, National Parents’ Council, Joint managerial body of Post Primary Schools, National Youth Council, Treoir, Gynaecologist/Obstetrician, Health promotion specialists, Health Boards CEO/management representatives, Legal profession, Disability groups, Midwifery, Non Nationals, Psychologists, Trade Union movement, Travellers, Catholic Bishops of Ireland, Church of Ireland Bishops.
Established under statute in October 2001, the Crisis Pregnancy Agency has been mandated to prepare a national strategy to address crisis pregnancy and oversee its implementation.
For further information contact Olive Braiden tel: 086 8221476
or Caroline Spillane tel: 01 8146292 or 087 2644819
* €880,022.54 funding allocated October – December 2002 with a further €1,897,926.37m committed for 2003
