Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 October 2017
217. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health his views on the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child's concluding observations on Ireland and the decriminalisation of abortion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43755/17]
View answer218. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Health the steps he will take to implement the recommendation of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child regarding access to safe abortion and post-abortion care services for those under 18 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43756/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 217 and 218 together.
As the Deputy is aware, the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution is now considering the report of the Citizens’ Assembly in order to recommend to the Oireachtas the policy direction it should consider on the issue of abortion. The committee is to report its conclusions and recommendations to the Oireachtas within three months of its first public meeting, which would therefore be due on or before 20 December 2017. The Government has agreed to hold a referendum on the eighth amendment in May or June 2018, subject to the timely passage of a Constitutional Amendment Bill on the matter by the Houses of the Oireachtas.
The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013 currently regulates access to a termination of pregnancy, if a pregnant women’s life, as distinct from her health, is at risk from a threat to her physical or mental health.
The Health Service Executive Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme funds the provision of post-abortion counselling services, in line with crisis pregnancy counselling. A number of state-funded services also provide access to free post-termination medical follow up. The Abortion Aftercare campaign (www.abortionaftercare.ie) aims to raise awareness of free post-abortion counselling and the importance for women who have had an abortion of post-abortion medical follow up.
