Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 19 September 2018

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health

Clinical Guidelines for the Introduction of Abortion Services: Discussion

9:00 am

Photo of Louise O'ReillyLouise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Dr. Crowe and my apologies again. My first question is that 1 January is going to come quickly and the witnesses have all rehearsed some of the difficulties. We know that there are three pillars - legislation, guidelines and infrastructure and resources. Have all of the relevant stakeholders been in the same room together at any point to have that important conversation or are we only at the stage of drafting up the plan for where we might all get into a room together? On the roll-out of services for primary care, we hear much about that and that the preference is for primary and community care. Are we talking about family planning clinics, Well Woman centres and integrating all of the services that exist or is it only just GPs who have been involved in this up to this date? In respect of the 24-hour helpline, information line or whatever, have the witnesses given any consideration to who might staff that, who they would work for and how that would work? My sense is that could end up as a crisis line. A non-clinical person or a non-trained person could not be on that line because the purpose is to direct women towards a clinical pathway.

The ICGP made reference in its submission to specialist support that might be necessary. Can the witnesses give us a sense of that? We are talking about 1 January and we need to understand if that is realistic. We do not need to say in the middle of December that we mentioned specialist support and here is the list of what that looks like. This question is most likely for the IOG but perhaps others might have a view as well.

I am a bit mystified about where the three-day waiting period came from. It did not form a large part of our discussions at the eighth amendment committee. I understand it is the practice in some jurisdictions. I am interested in the views of all of the witnesses as to whether it is wholly necessary and, if it is deemed to be necessary, and we must be guided by clinicians on this, can the waiting period count from the first contact with the helpline or information line? Do the witnesses envisage that it would work like that? I will put my cards on the table and state I am not convinced that a three-day waiting period is necessary but it has been flagged.

My final question relates to the duty to transfer a patient where there is a conscientious objection. My understanding from the presentations is that such a duty to transfer exists already. I am interested if there are any plans to change that. If consideration is being given to that, the witnesses might enlighten us as to why or how it will work.

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