I propose to take Questions Nos. 183 and 184 together.
The Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 was signed into law on 20 December 2018 and commenced on 1 January 2019. Section 7 of the Act states that “The Minister shall, not later than 3 years after the commencement of this section, carry out a review of the operation of this Act”.
The review is scheduled to be progressed in 2021 and will be overseen by my Department. It is anticipated that it will take a three-part approach to reviewing the operation of the Act, with strands focusing on service users, service providers and a public consultation.
Research to inform the service user and service provider strands will be commissioned and carried out independently. My Department will manage the public consultation, which will extend a public invitation to all interested groups/organisations and individuals to provide their views to inform the review of the operation of the legislation. At the current time it is intended that any submissions received will be published, unless the individual or group making the submission indicates that they do not consent to it being made public.
My Department will collate and analyse the findings of the three strands of the review. Upon completion a full report, with any necessary recommendations, will be submitted to me, as Minister, for consideration.