Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 March 2017
859. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health the actions his Department can employ to prevent the dissemination of illegal abortion pills in Ireland; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that an organisation (details supplied) has been distributing these pills at various locations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13403/17]
View answerThe Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) is the competent authority responsible for the regulation of human medicines in Ireland. The HPRA employs enforcement actions, in cooperation with the Revenue Commissioners and An Garda Síochána, to identify the unauthorised supply of prescription only medicines, including those containing abortifacients, to the public. The HPRA uses a range of enforcement powers to tackle this activity including seizing product and taking prosecutions.
No medicines indicated for the termination of pregnancy are authorised in Ireland. The majority of detentions of medicines containing abortifacients occur at the stage of importation into the State from other countries. While there have been public events relating to the use of abortifacients, supply of such prescription medicines to the public has not, to date, been evident.
Where any person in Ireland is a supplier of any prescription only medicine in contravention of medicines legislation they are committing an offence under Irish legislation and risk enforcement action up to prosecution.
