Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 June 2017
400. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Health the number of applications that have been made for terminations under the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013 each year since its introduction; the number of terminations which were refused; and the reason these terminations were refused. [29995/17]
View answerSections 7, 8 and 9 of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013 provide for medical procedures that are permissible under the Act. The process requires medical assessment to determine if the test set out in the Supreme Court judgment in the X case is met.
Medical procedures carried out under the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013 are subject to strict patient confidentiality, in line with guidance on confidentiality in medical practice as set out in the current Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics For Registered Medical Practitioners. While section 20 of the Act requires that the Minister for Health be notified of each termination of pregnancy no later than 28 days after it has taken place, reports under the Act are anonymised so as to protect women who have had terminations and their medical practitioners.
An annual report on notifications under the Act must be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas each year. Two such annual reports have been published to date and are available on the Department of Health website. The Annual Report for 2014 shows that twenty-six medical procedures were carried out under the Act, and the second Annual Report shows that twenty-six medical procedures were also carried out in 2015 under the Act. The third Annual Report, covering the period 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2016, will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on or before 30 June this year. The data it covers will not be available before that time.
In addition, the HSE publishes an annual report on the formal review process provided for under the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013, which covers situations in which a woman has been refused a termination or where she has been unable to obtain an opinion. The formal review pathway is in addition to, and not in substitution for, the option of the woman seeking a second medical opinion as with normal medical practice.
The Annual Report for 2014 showed that one application for review was received, one review was carried out and the review committee found that the application did not meet the criteria for lawful termination of pregnancy under the Act. The Annual Report for 2015 showed that again one application was received by the HSE, one review was carried out and the review committee found that the application met the criteria for lawful termination of pregnancy. As set out previously, figures for 2016 will be available after they have been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on or before 30 June.
