Women may be referred to UK for abortions from November

IRISH doctors will likely be able to refer women with fatal foetal abnormalities to the UK for terminations from November.

Medics are currently prohibited from making overseas referrals under a 1995 Act limiting abortion information and travel.

However, Health Minister Simon Harris will bring the new Abortion Bill to Cabinet on Thursday.

While abortions here won’t take place until the new year, he wants the section dealing with fatal foetal abnormalities to be passed by the end of November.

Mr Harris also confirmed he is still actively considering how the Government can financially help women with fatal foetal abnormalities to go to the UK for abortions.

‘It is the Minister’s belief legislation can be passed by the end of November and he is firmly committed to [Irish abortion] services being operational in January 2019,’ his spokeswoman told the Irish Daily Mail. ‘With regard to families who receive a diagnosis of a fatal foetal abnormality, the Minister is eager to repeal the 1995 Information Act and allow for doctors here to share information with their counterparts in the UK.

‘Financial assistance for families is still under active consideration.’

An Oireachtas Health Committee this week heard from medical experts that the timeline outlined by the Minister for the introduction of abortion in Ireland is ‘challenging’ and expressed concerns about the ‘provision for infrastructure’.

Dr Peter Boylan told the committee he had concerns about the three-day pause period before an abortion in Ireland, which he said was demeaning to women. The pause period was outlined in the draft legislation released by the Government before the May abortion referendum.

Mr Harris appeared to rule that out and said it is ‘important that politicians stand by what they said’.

‘We took a decision as Government to publish a draft Bill in advance of the referendum, so whether people wanted to vote Yes or vote No, they voted knowing what we were planning to introduce if the referendum passed. And therefore, I feel a particular responsibility not to deviate from that bill.’

Speaking to Newstalk, the Minister said it is ‘not unusual’ for time to elapse between an initial consultation and a medical procedure.

Discussing the ‘challenging’ timeline for introducing abortion here, Mr Harris said he intends to meet doctors in the coming weeks.

‘There are three things that have to happen: there is a law that has to be passed, there are resources that have to be provided, and there are clinical guidelines that have to be put in place. I am responsible with colleagues in Government and the Oireachtas for the first two. So we will pass the law with the cooperation of the Oireachtas, I would hope by November. In terms of resources, we will provide for that in the Budget in a couple of weeks’ time.

‘I intend to bring them all together – the Medical Counthose cil, the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologist, the Irish College of General Practitioners – in the next week or so to check where we are at.’

Dr Boylan, chairman of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, told the Health Committee on Tuesday that there were ‘infrastructural deficits in access to ultrasound in pregnancy’.

‘Introduction of a termination service without adequate scanning facilities is fraught with risk,’ he said.

‘The institute recommends that appropriate and immediate investment in ultrasound is an integral element of termination services.’

Ultrasound is required to determine that an embryo has a gestation of less than 12 weeks, as will likely be required by law.

Dr Boylan said the State must set the service up right, adding ‘the consequences of getting it wrong are very serious’.

‘Still under consideration’