Vol. 515 No. 2
20 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will publish the recommendations contained in the report produced on behalf of the Government by the Department of Sociology in Trinity College, Dublin, Women and Crisis Pregnancies, which were withheld when the report was published in order to allow a fully informed debate on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5498/00]
When the Women and Crisis Pregnancy report was published in 1998 the view of my predecessor as Minister was that it would not have been appropriate to publish a major report containing recommendations while the consultation process leading to the preparation of the Green Paper on abortion was under way. The report as published, however, contained detailed findings and conclusions, based on the research undertaken. The research team which had undertaken the study was invited to make a submission to the interdepartmental working group which was preparing the Green Paper, and such a submission was made.
All submissions made in connection with the preparation of the Green Paper were treated as confidential. It has not therefore been the policy of my Department to disclose their contents. While I would have no difficulty with disclosure of the content of the submission of the Trinity research team, this is a matter for its authors in the first instance.
