Call for 24-hour crisis pregnancy hotline

UPCOMING abortion legislation needs to establish a 24-hour crisis pregnancy helpline, medical groups are expected to tell a Dáil committee today.

And one of the groups, the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, may suggest eliminating the proposed three-day waiting period before an abortion.

This comes as President Michael D Higgins last night, separately, signed the referendum Bill into law which removes the Eighth Amendment from the Constitution.

The Irish College of General Practitioners and the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists are today set to recommend to TDs and senators the legislative framework to replace it must include provisions for the establishment of a 24-hour helpline.

The committee is also set to hear from the IOG that the proposed three-day interval period between the initial consultation and the termination taking place is ‘not supported by evidence’ and that it could subsequently ‘act as a barrier and it makes unwarranted assumptions about women’s ability to make their own decisions’.

The opening statement from the IOG is set to be delivered by Dr Peter Boylan and Dr Cliona Murphy. They will call for a ‘24 hour, seven days a week helpline’ which will ‘help with appointments, provide reassurance and provide information if a woman is concerned about any aspect of her care, e.g. where to go in the case of a complication’.

The ICGP is also set to tell the committee the 24-hour helpline should include ‘a clear referral pathway to a known community provider’ as well as a ‘referral to in-person counselling, if required’.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar yesterday told the Dáil the legislation to facilitate terminations will be introduced in the first week of October, and that the Government is on track to make services available in the New Year.