Holly Cairns
Ceist:401. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health the status of the safe access to termination of pregnancy Bill that is due to be published. [15746/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 24 March 2022
Ceisteanna (401)
Freagraí scríofa
The Minister for Health is committed to ensuring safe access to termination of pregnancy services, and the area remains an ongoing priority.
It is important that any legislative provisions are implementable and enforceable, and that they will stand up to any legal challenges that might be brought against them. It must also be ensured that they do not cause any unintentional consequences for existing public order laws.
While it was originally intended to provide for safe access to TOP services in the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, a number of complex legal and policy issues were identified during the drafting process which necessitated further deliberation and advice.
Substantial work has been done to move safe access forward. The Department of Health has been actively engaging with key stakeholders to work through these challenges, refine the policy position, and explore legislative options.
The Minister for Health, subject to Government approval, plans to have proposals for safe access on the legislative programme for 2022.