Bill to widen access to abortion services passes Dáil vote

A government amendment that would have frozen the bill for a year was defeated by 74-59, with a number of government TDs siding with the opposition.

On the bill itself, the Government was defeated 67-64 with eight abstentions as 11 government TDs voted with Ms Smith.

Earlier, the author of a report on termination services in Ireland said recent comments by the Taoiseach and Tánaiste about her recommendations are “disappointing” and “disconcerting”.

Examples of women paying €90 taxi fares to get to a GP offering terminations in a region where few do, and a woman who phoned seven GPs before one referred her to the HSE termination service, were also heard during the Oireachtas Health Committee on Wednesday.

A review of services is required under legislation. At the committee, barrister Dr Marie O’Shea answered questions about 10 recommendations in her report particularly that the mandatory three-day wait be changed to optional.

“I heard the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste refer to needing to give this consideration, and the breach of promise with the electorate, and slow and steady approach to it, when really this is a health service that was developed and put into implementation in 2019,” she said.

In all other cases the HSE pilots services and rolls them out based on health evidence, she said.

“I find that attitude, as to what does the electorate think about it, to be a little disconcerting,” she told Senator Martin Conway. She added: “I certainly found those two comments disappointing.” 

In relation to how the report could impact on the legislation, she said: “I think it is reasonable to say that among the 66.4% of those who voted in favour of repeal of the eighth amendment were people who would have been influenced by the scope of the proposed regulations.

They may hold genuine fear that the recommendations contained in the report represent the start of creep towards a more progressive termination of pregnancy regime. I want to assure this Committee that that is not the purpose of the recommendations.

Dr O’Shea and Dr Catherine Conlon from Trinity College Dublin shared case studies of barriers linked to this wait.

One service provider said they told a woman on Christmas Eve she would be over the 12 weeks gestation limit allowed by the time the next clinic opened as they could not offer the termination after one appointment.

“(It is) just a horrible thing to have to tell somebody that, 'yes, you’re actually legally eligible but you’re not going to get there. That’s purely down to the three days,” that person said.

Conscientious objectors

Doctors who have conscientious objections to terminations and then decline to refer women onwards were also discussed.

Dr Conlon, who praised the existing service, said some women spoke of “running the gauntlet” in phoning GPs if they were unaware they could instead contact the HSE MyOptions for a referral.

Dr O’Shea said if medical consultants could be asked in job interviews if they are comfortable in providing terminations of pregnancy this would lessen the chances of recruiting people who have conscientious objections.

Only 11 of the 19 maternity hospitals offer terminations. She said this in turn leads to fewer GPs offering medical abortions – tablet only – as they are worried about the lack of local support should an emergency arise.

“The Act does not sufficiently address the balance between the right to conscientiously object and the right to receive healthcare, specifically to enable employers to make the requisite enquiries in the recruitment process to identify candidates who would be willing to perform abortion services,” she said.

Aontú TD Peader Tóibín raised questions around the removal of the waiting period without the provision of concrete data.