Access to abortion should be made even easier in the Republic of Ireland, according to a new Government-commissioned report.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly called the O’Shea report, published yesterday, an “important milestone” in the “development” of abortion services across the country.
Led by barrister Marie O’Shea, the research study reviewed the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018, which repealed the Republic’s pro-life laws but retained some legal safeguards for the unborn.
Proposals
O’Shea recommended scrapping the current three-day reflection period, which gives women time to think over the decision after having requested an abortion.
Sile Quinlan of Pro Life Campaign, Ireland, responds to the O’Shea report.
She also suggested the Health Service Executive recruit more pro-abortion GPs, even saying that in some instances, hospitals should be allowed to screen out job applicants who conscientiously object to abortion.
All job specifications for staff required to run the service in hospitals where there are insufficient numbers to sustain the service, should feature provision of termination of pregnancy services as mandatory requirement as should the contract of employment. Candidates should be informed at interview of the contractual obligations and of the legal consequences of breaching the condition, which could be termination of employment.
The barrister implied that non-invasive pre-natal tests (NIPTs) – which have been shown to raise the abortion rate for children with Down’s syndrome – should be made available through the public health system.
According to the report, approximately 17,820 abortions were carried out under the provisions of the Act between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2021.
Activist demands
While Taoiseach Leo Varadkar committed the Government to act straight away to address “gaps” in abortion services, he also expressed reluctance to make legislative changes.
But the pro-abortion Irish Family Planning Association said: “Political foot-dragging cannot be allowed to stand in the way of legislative reforms”.
The Cabinet has referred the recommendations proposing legislative change to the Joint Committee on Health for its consideration.
100 medics: ‘ROI must not fail mothers by scrapping abortion safeguards’
RC Archbishop decries censorship of ‘respectful pro-life witness’ in NI
‘Distressing day’: NI Secretary commissions abortion services across Province