Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will use five minutes now and reserve five for later. I thank the witnesses for their presentations, which were very informative. I have two questions for Ms Hoctor and one for Dr. Sedgh.

An issue of which we are aware is the difference between making abortion procedures nominally legal in State laws and ensuring practical and real access to abortion services for women. What are the common challenges that emerge in this respect and what should Ireland do to ensure practical access to abortion if we decide to change our laws, based on the experience of other countries? In our last meeting we heard detailed evidence on the issue of abortion in cases of rape and sexual assault, an issue that Ms Hoctor also touched on in her presentation. In the 21 countries she mentioned that have an explicit sexual assault ground for abortion, what types of verification processes exist to determine if the ground is met? What is her opinion of how they operate in practice and their impact on the women involved?

My next question is for Dr. Sedgh and I hope I am pronouncing her name correctly.