Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 February 2019
394. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the legal guidance that has been provided to hospitals, general practitioners and specialist reproductive healthcare providers participating in termination of pregnancy services to support the implementation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5325/19]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, I published the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 on 1 October 2018. The Act was passed by the Houses of the Oireachtas on 13 December 2018 and signed into law by the President on 20 December 2018.
The Act makes it clear that termination of pregnancy may be carried out in cases where there is a risk to the life, or of serious harm to the health, of the pregnant woman; where there is a risk to the life, or of serious harm to the health, of the pregnant woman in an emergency situation; where there is a condition present which is likely to lead to the death of the foetus either before or within 28 days of birth; and without restriction up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Following the enactment of the legislation, I signed a number of Statutory Instruments into law on 21 December last. These include the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 (Certification) Regulations 2018, which sets out the form to be used by medical practitioners who are certifying that a termination may be carried out; the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 (Applications for Review) Regulations 2018, which sets out the form to be used where a person wishes to apply for a review of a medical decision; and the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 (Notifications) Regulations 2018, which sets out the form to be used by medical practitioners when notifying me, as Minister, that a termination of pregnancy has been carried out.
Services for termination of pregnancy commenced on 1 January 2019.
