Senator blasts abortion service as ‘disgraceful’
Gaps still remain after 8th scrapped says Hoey
IT is “disgraceful” that six years after the repeal of the Eighth amendment women must travel to access services, a senator said yesterday.
Labour’s Annie Hoey added blocks are still in place particularly for those in rural areas.
She added: “Numerous barriers persist, including the 12-week rule and the scarcity of healthcare providers in rural areas.
“We know there is a lack of GPS providing abortion services outside of main urban areas.
“In 13 counties, fewer than 10 GPS offer abortion care. Young girls and women from rural areas are reporting having to make two lonely trips to their local city for appointments.
“There is no need to make an already vulnerable time even more challenging.
“All healthcare should be available and delivered in a community setting, so it’s clear swift action is needed from Government to increase the regional spread of service providers.
“Compassion in a crisis is what people voted for in 2018.” The National Women’s Council, civil society groups and academics wrote an open letter to new Taoiseach Simon Harris to demand reform.
The letter wrote: “While we acknowledge efforts to improve operational aspects of abortion services – including 17 of the 19 maternity hospitals now providing care – significant barriers remain.
“These include criminalisation, the mandatory three-day wait, inadequate data collection, lack of safe access zones, uneven geographical coverage and narrow rigid legal criteria for abortion access after 12-weeks including the 28-day clause for fatal foetal anomalies.”
NWC director Orla O’connor said: “The O’shea review shows serious gaps remain in abortion care.
“We are calling on the Government to implement the recommendations of the review, without further delay.”