Harris’s assurance to doctors over abortion

SIMON Harris has written to doctors to assure them that current laws already protect their surgeries and patients from protest by pro-life demonstrators.

And the Health Minister has moved to reassure them that legislation on ‘safe access zones’ will come to Cabinet in the coming weeks. The move comes after some clinics which offer abortion services became the target of protests after terminations were legalised on January 1.

In the letter, which has been seen the Irish Daily Mail, Mr Harris said that he had consulted with Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan.

While thanking medics for their ‘leadership’ in ensuring the introduction of abortion, he said he does not believe that ‘staff carrying out their duties should be subject to intimidation or that women or their families accessing a legal service should face harassment’.

‘While it remains my absolute intention to provide safe access legislation, I want your members/ staff to be clear there is existing legislation in place to protect them and to protect patients,’ he said. And he told the Mail: ‘I am absolutely committed to the introduction of legislation to ensure safe access to premises in which termination of pregnancy services may be provided. The intention of the legislation would be to allow patients, healthcare staff and members of the public to enter such premises without fear of intimidation or harassment.’