Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021
1668. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of terminations provided at each maternity unit for each year since the commencement of services by county; the number of maternity units which do not or cannot provide termination services; when each unit is timelined to commence services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34882/21]
View answerUnder section 20(1) of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, a notification of each termination of pregnancy carried out under the legislation must be notified to the Minister for Health within 28 days of it being carried out.
As part of the notification process, as set out in Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 (Notifications) Regulations 2018 (Statutory Instrument No. 597 of 2018), only certain designated information is provided to the Minister for Health, including the county of residence, or place of residence (where the woman resides outside of the State) of the woman concerned. However, apart from the information designated in Statutory Instrument No. 597 of 2018, no other information is notified to the Minister for Health. The Annual Reports on Notifications 2019 and 2020 are available on the Department of Health’s website.
Under the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 services for termination of pregnancy are available in this country in both hospital and community settings. There is regular ongoing engagement between the Department of Health and the HSE to facilitate the smooth-running of the service and to resolve any issues that may arise. Terminations up to 9 weeks of pregnancy are provided in the community setting. Terminations up to 12 weeks of pregnancy are currently available in 10 of the 19 maternity hospitals/units in the country.
It is Government policy that termination of pregnancy services, under the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, should be provided in all nineteen maternity hospitals. My Department continues to engage with the HSE’s National Women & Infants Health Programme in relation to plans for the further rollout of termination services in additional maternity hospitals/units.
