Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 December 2021
554. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if his Department or the HSE has carried out an internal review or investigation into the impact of the three-day waiting period provision within the existing abortion legislation. [60095/21]
View answerSection 12 of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 provides that a termination of pregnancy may be carried out by a medical practitioner who, having examined the pregnant woman, is of the reasonable opinion formed in good faith that the pregnancy concerned has not exceeded 12 weeks of pregnancy. A three-day period must elapse between certification and the procedure being carried out.
Where a medical practitioner has formed the reasonable opinion in good faith that a woman’s pregnancy has not exceeded 12 weeks and certified that opinion, and the woman has fulfilled the three-day period, a second medical practitioner may carry out the procedure without a further three-day period where he/she has formed the reasonable opinion in good faith that the pregnancy has not exceeded 12 weeks and has certified that opinion.
I assume the Deputy is asking his question in the context of the review of the operation of the Act, required under section 7 and noted in the Programme for Government, which is being progressed this year. The review clause was included in the Act in order to facilitate monitoring of the impact, operation, and effectiveness of the legislation in practice, as well as of the delivery of services in the area.
It is too early at this stage to speculate as to the recommendations or areas for action which the review report may identify.
