‘Momentous...’ Abortion legal for first time in history of State
HEALTH Minister Simon Harris has described as ‘momentous’ the introduction of abortion services in Ireland from today. From midnight last night, GPs and hospitals were able to offer women who are seeking abortions in Ireland terminations at up to 12 weeks’ gestation, as well as in cases where there is a risk to the life or a serious risk to the health of the pregnant woman.
Women will also now have the option of having a termination in Irish hospitals in cases where they receive a diagnosis of a fatal foetal abnormality.
The minister said there were enough GPs to provide the service. Concerns have been raised that there would not be enough community doctors prepared or skilled to administer the procedure.
A helpline also went live at midnight last night.
‘It is really a momentous day,’ Mr Harris said yesterday. ‘Abortion is a very sensitive issue. We’re talking about women in crisis pregnancies... we’re talking about people in very, very difficult situations.
‘Up until now... their options have been to travel or to go on the internet. All that changes.’ It follows a referendum in May which preceded the liberalisation of the country’s strict abortion laws.
Some 66.4% of the electorate voted to repeal an amendment in the Constitution, which effectively banned the termination of pregnancies in the vast majority of cases, paving the way for legislation to introduce abortion services up to 12 weeks without restriction.
Mr Harris said about 80% of terminations were likely to take place in local communities and he was satisfied that the 165 GPs who signed up to provide the service is enough to meet demand.
Women will be referred to a new website, MyOptions.ie, and also a new 24/7 helpline offering advice.
Mr Harris said: ‘I think it’s momentous that... women and their partners, who face situations... like fatal foetal abnormalities will no longer have to travel abroad to access services.’ However, he has continued to acknowledge that it will ‘take time for our services to fully evolve, fully embed’.
The minister said: ‘This is a new service for the Irish health service. But what I can say to women across this country – and in fact I know what women across the country know – is that certainly the services on offer will be so much better than what we had in our country before, where we couldn’t provide that support and those options.’
From today, the law allows abortion in the following cases: 1. Up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. People under nine weeks of pregnancy will mainly be cared for by a GP, and people between nine and 12 weeks will be cared for in hospital 2. Where there is a risk to the life, or of serious harm to the health, of the pregnant person. People in these cases will be cared for in a hospital setting. 3.Where there is a condition likely to lead to the death of the foetus before or shortly after birth. People in these cases will be cared for in a hospital setting.
Abortion care will be free of charge for people normally living in Ireland.
Meanwhile, Minister Harris said there were 34% fewer patients waiting in emergency departments to be admitted yesterday than the same day last year.
Latest statistics from the HSE showed there were 224 people waiting for beds in hospitals across the country yesterday.
By comparison, figures released by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation yesterday showed there were 357 patients waiting for beds; 228 waiting in the emergency department, while 129 in wards elsewhere in the hospital.
The Minister was speaking after a meeting with Health Service Executive officials to get an update on the rollout of its winter plan.
emmajane.hade@dailymail.ie
‘It will take time to fully evolve’ ‘165 GPs is enough for demand’