Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 March 2023
591. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Health the number of abortions carried out in the State under the 2018 Act in a non-hospital and non-GP settings from 2019 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11101/23]
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.
The notifications are recorded on the form entitled “Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 (Notifications) Regulations 2018” (Statutory Instrument No. 597 of 2018). The following information is included in the form:
- Medical Council registration number of the medical practitioner who carried out the termination of pregnancy;
- The section of the Act under which the termination was carried out, i.e., section 9, 10, 11 or 12;
- Medical Council registration number(s) of the medical practitioner(s) who made the certification concerned;
- The county of residence, or place of residence (where the woman resides outside of the State) of the woman concerned;
- The date on which the termination of pregnancy was carried out. No other information, including the location in which the termination of pregnancy was carried out or patient details, is notified to the Minister.
All of the information permitted to be published under the Act on terminations of pregnancy carried out in 2019, 2020 and 2021 were laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas and published on the Department of Health website. The 2019, 2020 and 2021 reports are available on the Department of Health website at:
gov.ie - Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 - Annual Report on Notifications 2019 (www.gov.ie)
gov.ie - Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 - Annual Report on Notifications 2020 (www.gov.ie)
gov.ie - Notifications in accordance with Section 20 of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018: Annual Report 2021 (www.gov.ie)
As the notifications sent to the Department of Health do not capture the type of healthcare facility in which the termination of pregnancy was carried out, I have referred your question to the HSE for further information.
