Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I might take less and it can be shared among the others. I thank the witnesses for coming in. In March 2022 the HSE acknowledged that remote consultations in respect of home abortions increased the chances of women being coerced into having an abortion. It recognised that meeting the woman in person increases the likelihood of the provider identifying any coercion or domestic abuse. In her report, Ms O’Shea recommended that telemedicine for abortion should be retained as a staple of abortion policy going forward, at least in a blended form. As we know, telemedicine was introduced as a Covid-19 emergency measure and is still in place. I have concerns around telemedicine and how it could be seen as enabling coercion and abuse of women that would go undetected, as well as having a detrimental impact on women who are trafficked in Ireland. This country does not have a good reputation on human trafficking.

Is there an added risk of allowing these vulnerable women to fall through the cracks under the telemedicine regime, even if it is optional? That is my first question.

Second, Ms O'Shea has said a number of times this morning that she felt under pressure to deliver this report. Does she believe that if she had been given more time, or if the review period had been extended from three to five years, it would have helped her to deliver more effective research other than the research she has given on 58 women? Some €11.2 million has been spent per year on abortion services. I ask Ms O'Shea to answer those two questions.