Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

There is evidence that the abortion pill is being used increasingly frequently by women in this country. It is accessed illegally and a woman is criminalised for accessing it, with a potential sentence of up to 14 years. Could Mr. Woods comment on the ranges of support that he said in his presentation are available during a crisis pregnancy and following termination? If a woman has accessed an abortion pill illegally and has had a medical termination, albeit at risk to her own health because it is unsupervised, how is she going to present herself to a general practitioner or another medical service if she has committed an illegal act? Where is the follow-up treatment for this woman or cohort of women? Mr. Woods says that the HSE funds and supports a range of services but it is impossible to give a woman who has committed an illegal act that could put her at risk of a sentence of 14 years follow-up services. Would he comment on that?

When Mr. Woods says all women have the same standard of obstetrical care, will he comment on how much of that care is available to migrant women, asylum seekers, women in direct provision who do not have the language, the skills, the access or the finances to access obstetric care and if they are treated differently from others?