More than half of pregnant women here who are told their babies will have Down Syndrome are opting for an abortion.
Figures from the country's three main maternity hospitals - Holles Street, The Coombe and The Rotunda, published in the Irish Independent - show more than 50% of women who avail of a diagnostic test after 12 weeks and are told their child will be born with Down Sydnrome choose to travel to the UK for a termination.
Former Master at Holles Street Dr Peter Boylan is advocating for a yes vote in the referendum.
He says even if the Eighth is repealed, it won't change the situation here because diagnosis takes place after the 12 week limit.
"The numbers that are quote in the paper are relatively small - so saying that 50% of all diagnoses, not of all screens.
"So women who get a high risk of a screening test, if they decide that they may wish to go ahead and have a termination, will then have the diagnostic test and they'd then have to travel to the UK.
"So there'd be no change at all in that respect".
