Irish Parliament Debates Bill to Legalize Abortion

BBC News (Oct. 4, 2018): Irish Parliament Debates Bill to Legalise Abortion, by Deirdre Finnerty:

The Irish parliament is debating legislation to legalize abortion services nationwide. It is the first time the Irish parliament has addressed the issue since the Eighth Amendment - a near total constitutional ban on abortion - was removed by referendum in May.

Irish Health Minister Simon Harris hopes abortion services will be available in Ireland starting in January.

Known as the Regulation of the Termination of Pregnancy Bill, the legislation allows for abortion services to be provided "on demand" up to the 12th week of a pregnancy, and in the case of a fatal fetal abnormality or where the physical or mental health of the mother is in danger.

Harris has said that abortion would be made available free of charge.

Introducing the bill in the Irish assembly, Harris said the referendum was a resounding affirmation of support for right of women to make choices about their lives.

"More on women's health, women's equality, more on continuing to shape an inclusive and equal society," said Harris.

Separate legislation will be introduced at a later date to allow for "safe access" zones - designated areas that prevent protests around abortion providers.

The Irish government must work with doctors to implement services and provide training and support. Dr. Mary Favier, founder of Doctors for Choice, told the Irish Times that planning for abortion by the Department of Health had been "a shambles."

"There's been no clinical lead appointments. There's been no technical round tables established. There's been effectively no meetings held," she said.

Mike Thompson, a general practitioner in east Cork, told the BBC that the government's proposed timeline of January 2019 was "ambitious" and "challenging."

"Unless there is a clear and robust guideline, no GP will provide the service. It has to be safe," Dr. Thompson said.

Earlier, anti-abortion doctors said they did not wish to be forced to refer a pregnant woman seeking a termination to another doctor. A bill allowing for doctors to opt out of providing a medical or surgical abortion if they do not wish to perform the procedure was introduced in the Irish parliament earlier this year. The legislation requires that doctors refer a woman seeking an abortion to another doctor who will perform the abortion.

The health minister said that conscientious objection was one thing, but refusing to refer women wishing to terminate their pregnancies to other doctors was quite another.

It is unclear how a small number of doctors objecting to providing abortion care will affect the rollout of abortion services in Ireland.