The Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) has expressed serious concern about the challenges faced by some women who wish to travel outside of the State for an abortion.

It insisted that many women ‘experience huge challenges' in trying to travel and while some manage to access services abroad, ‘others are forced to continue with the pregnancy and parent against their wishes'.

Women who cannot travel freely to access abortion services include undocumented women and asylum seekers.

According to the IFPA's latest Annual Report, between September 2013 and September 2014, 26 migrant women with travel restrictions placed on them attended the association's pregnancy counseling service indicating that they wanted an abortion.

Among these women, ‘at least five were forced to continue with the pregnancy and parent against their wishes', the IFPA said. At least four were considering taking the abortion pill or had already taken it and the remainder never returned to the association, so it is unclear what happened to them.

"For decades the Government has relied on women being able to leave the State to access abortion services. However, the reality is that many women cannot do so due to legal, financial and other barriers. These women face enormous challenges in obtaining the documentation and funds required to travel," commented IFPA chief executive, Niall Behan.

He pointed out that under Irish law, ‘the entire burden of accessing an abortion abroad falls on women'.

"Last year, some of our clients with travel restrictions managed to overcome the barriers and travel. Some of our clients tried to obtain the abortion pill. However, others had no option but to continue with the pregnancy and parent against their wishes," he said.

The IFPA's pregnancy counseling service is available to women, girls and couples who experience an unplanned or crisis pregnancy. According to the report, in 2013, almost 3,700 women, girls and couples received counseling at the IFPA's 11 counselling locations nationwide or via the IFPA National Pregnancy Helpline.

The report also noted that in recent years, demand has risen for its post-abortion counseling service and last year, almost half of all counseling clients were women and couples seeking this type of counseling.

Some 3% of clients were pregnant women who had been diagnosed with a foetal anomaly.

Over 40% of clients were aged between 25 and 34, while almost 30% were aged between 35 and 44.

Some 40% of clients attended during their first 12 weeks of pregnancy, while 12% attended during their second or third trimester.

Meanwhile, the report also noted an increase in women aged 50 and older who were attending for sexual health check-ups.