Cabinet has approved referring the recommendations on how to change Ireland’s abortion services based on a review of five years of the service.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly received his ministerial colleagues’ approval to refer the legislative proposals from termination of pregnancy report to the Oireachtas Health Committee and the operational proposals to the HSE’s implementation group.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday afternoon, Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said that the Government had referred the report to the Oireachtas committee, which would discuss the legislative proposals.
Calling it an “important report” on his way into Cabinet, Mr Donnelly said “it’s certainly going to help me and the Department and the HSE improve services for women right across the country”.
The review, led by barrister Marie O’Shea, assessed the extent to which the new laws’ objectives have or have not been achieved and to make recommendations to address any barriers it found.
Speaking last week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar indicated that he would be reluctant to make any major changes to the laws.
He said: “When I went out and others went out to look for a Yes vote, we said that there would be safeguards, and that included things like the waiting period, it included things like the protection of conscientious objections.
“I have to say, I for one would be reluctant and uncomfortable to make any major legislative changes so soon after that referendum.”
Ireland’s abortion laws, liberalised following a 66 per cent vote in favour in the 2018 referendum, have been the subject of a review as part of legislation introduced in the wake of that vote.
Under the liberalised laws, abortions can be performed up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, mostly through taking medication.
Women face a mandatory three-day waiting period before they can access an abortion through women’s healthcare clinics or through GPs.
A termination can also be carried out where there is a risk to the life, or of serious harm, of the pregnant woman, or where there is a condition present which is likely to lead to the death of the foetus either before or within 28 days of birth.
Since the new laws have been introduced, only 11 of Ireland’s 19 maternity hospitals and units are providing full abortion services as legislated for under the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018.
Some hospitals have said the delay in rolling out all abortion services legislated for is because of conscientious objections by healthcare staff, which is provided for under the legislation.
“There’s a lot of different recommendations and a lot of recommendations there that will make the services better,” Mr Donnelly said on Tuesday.
“Regardless of the report, a big focus for me in terms of the services is increasing the number of hospitals providing the services.
“We’re at 11 of 19, by the end of this year I want to be up to 17 of 19 and then early next year to all 19.
“We’ve over 400 GPs providing services, I want to make sure that that increases, that we put in the supports that the GPs need as well to make sure there’s access right across the country, particularly focusing on any geographies where there might be less provision.”
The report will be published in full on Wednesday by the Department of Health.
