We’ll make abortion free, pledges Harris Health Minister ‘doesn’t want cost to be a barrier’

ABORTIONS will be free to the public, Simon Harris has said.

The Health Minister yesterday said it is his ‘intention that services will be free’ as he ‘does not want cost to be a barrier’ for women.

Mr Harris said if cost becomes a barrier ‘you get into a situation where one of two things could happen – you see private clinics develop, we don’t want that to happen in Ireland... and secondly you can see people having to continue to travel.

‘So I want this to be provided as part of our healthcare system, as part of our public health care system and primarily as part of our primary care system.’

Mr Harris is to bring the Bill to replace the Eighth Amendment to Cabinet next week and intends to introduce it to the Dáil in the first week of October. Schedule: Simon Harris

Meanwhile, one of the main doctors who argued for a Yes vote in the abortion referendum has said that the proposed three-day waiting time before carrying out abortions is demeaning to women.

Dr Peter Boylan, chairman of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (IOG), also told the Dáil health committee that the Government’s proposal to introduce abortion in January may prove too difficult.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said this week that the legislation to replace the Eighth would be introduced in the first week of October and the Government was on track to introduce abortion in the New Year.

Dr Boylan spoke out against the three-day wait or pause period for women who are seeking a termination.

He branded it ‘unnecessary’ and ‘demeaning to women to suggest they would have to wait three days to make their minds up’. He said that all the ‘stakeholders’ need to sit down and work out a plan for introducing abortion in Ireland.

‘That needs to happen soon so we can get a clear picture of what the requirements are in terms of infrastructural deficits that need to be addressed,’ he said.

He was speaking alongside colleagues from the Irish Medical Council and the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) before a meeting of the Oireachtas health committee yesterday.

Dr John O’Brien, from the ICGP, said that 60% of practises are closed to new patients and the estimation that there will be a loss of 700 GPs over the next seven years. Dr O’Brien said these practises may struggle to provide abortions.

Dr Mary Favier of the ICGP said: ‘There are actually very few clinicians who are trained to deliver this care pathway unless they have received training outside of the jurisdiction.’

Dr Cliona Murphy, the incoming chairwoman of the IOG, also urged caution and suggested phasing in the services until doctors are fully prepared.

Mr Harris welcomed the ‘constructive suggestions from the medical professionals’ and his spokesperson said he intends to meet them shortly.