Almost 100 children called a crisis pregnancy helpline that provides information on abortion services last year.
They were among 11,551 calls to the HSE's My Options service, which also provides information on continued pregnancy supports.
There was a big surge in calls in 2022, which increased by 20 per cent, from 9,651 in 2021.
READ MORE - Anti-abortion protest criticises call for three-day wait period to be removed
A total of 91 of last year's calls related to girls under 17, according to details released to The Irish Mirror under the Freedom of Information Act.
Dr Madeleine Ni Dhalaigh, a member of the Irish Medical Organisation's GP committee, says My Options is a great service.
"When someone gets a positive pregnancy test and it's unplanned and they want to consider a termination of pregnancy, very often their first port of call will be My Options," she said.
"Also, if they go to their GP and if their GP isn't a providing GP (for abortions), very often a GP will refer them to My Options.
"My Options will then talk to her on the phone and direct her to her nearest providing GP, and then we arrange to see her.
"If she is still unsure at that stage, then we refer her back to My Options for non-directive counselling."
You can only have an abortion in Ireland if you are less than 12 weeks pregnant, bar in exceptional circumstances.
But there were 250 calls to the My Options service last year from people who were over 12 weeks pregnant.
The only cases where you can have an abortion after 12 weeks are if the woman’s health is at risk or in cases of fatal foetal abnormality.
Dr Ni Dhalaigh says this law can be 'problematic' for GPs.
"If we start treatment for a termination and it hasn't completed or hasn't worked, if she goes over the 12 weeks, we are not permitted by law to re-treat her," she said. "She would have to go to the UK for further treatment.
"So we should be permitted to finish the treatment that we start with the women concerned."
Under the current legislation, women have to wait three days between being certified and having the abortion procedure or taking the required medication.
Dr Ni Dhalaigh said: "I think the mandatory three-day wait is wrong.
"I think GPs and the women concerned, when they're in that consultation, are able to discuss the issues at hand.
"Very often, by the time the woman comes to the GP, she has made up her mind what she wants to do and the three-day wait can be quite punitive.
"She is not able to access the legal healthcare she needs to access on that very day.
"It's particularly an issue if the woman is nearly 11 weeks and six days pregnant, coming up to the 12 weeks after which it's illegal to provide the care.
"That can be very difficult. It means we can't offer them an abortion because, after the three-day wait, it will put them over the legal limit."
Of those who called My Options last year, over two thirds (7,899) were less than eight weeks pregnant, and 571 were nine to 11 weeks.
The gestation was unknown among 1,734 callers, and 1,097 people made contact with the service after having an abortion.
Professor Bill Tormey, a consultant in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, says abortion services should be widely available in GP practices.
"Only 400 GPs out of 3,600 are involved in abortion services under the HSE and this is clearly inadequate," he said.
"This service needs refinement and amendment. This is urgent and the problems of non-service are obvious now."
READ NEXT:
- Young man, 30s, opened up on the shocking moment he suffered huge stroke out of the blue
- Katie Taylor comes up just short against Chantelle Cameron in Dublin
- RTE's Maura Derrane looks stunning in bright summer dress - and it costs less than €50
- Dozens of motorcyclists gather to remember Longford crash victim
- Lotto results: Nearly 100 players take home hefty sum in Lotto Plus Raffle
Get news updates direct to your inbox by signing up to our daily newsletter here
