Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik has said that many women still don't have proper access to abortions, despite the eighth amendment being repealed in 2018.

Speaking today at the AGM of the Southern Taskgroup on Abortion & Reproductive Topics Dublin Bay South TD Bacik called for the new abortion laws to be reformed.

She told Newstalk that the service to be more widely available, especially in rural areas.

"The shortcoming are first of all the lack of geographic coverage."

"In many counties there are few GPs and in some counties there are no GPs who are providing early abortion care for women", she said.

"Many women have to travel out of their county, out of their town, out of their villages to access care."

Intimidation of GPs

Deputy Bacik described the current lack of access as a "catch 22".

"The fewer GPs who offer early abortion care through their practices, the more intimidation the few who provide it are likely to have and the less of a sense of solidarity there is among GPs", she explained.

"But there is a very positive sign where we're seeing more and more GPs offering the service."

"The more networks are developed, the more likely it is that more GPs will continue to do it."

Reform

The Labour party seeks to get rid of the mandatory three-day waiting period those who request abortions must endure.

It will also calling for the immediate introduction of safe access zones.

This would make it illegal to take part in any activity aimed at influencing the decision of someone seeking a termination of pregnancy within 100 metres of a healthcare setting.

Main image shows Labour's Ivana Bacik outside Leinster House. Picture by: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie