Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 June 2017
1453. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if there is a mechanism within his Department to measure the physical and mental health outcomes of those that access services under the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013, for those that proceed with an abortion and for those that do not; and if so, if he will make the findings of this research available publicly in an anonymous fashion. [28537/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is not appropriate for the Department of Health to be involved in individual medical cases.
As the Deputy will be aware, the purpose of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013 is to confer procedural rights on a woman who believes she has a life threatening condition, so she can have certainty as to whether she requires a termination of pregnancy to avert a real and substantial risk to her life.
Medical procedures carried out under the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013 are subject to strict patient confidentiality, in line with guidance on confidentiality in medical practice as set out in the current Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics For Registered Medical Practitioners. While section 20 of the Act requires that the Minister for Health be notified of each termination of pregnancy no later than 28 days after it has taken place, reports under the Act are anonymised so as to protect women who have had terminations and their medical practitioners.
