Ms Alana Ryan:

It is a combination of factors. In certain hospitals, the lead gynaecologist may be a conscience-based refuser. There are also issues, however, regarding theatre space and practical measures which the hospitals are not equipped for now. That has been uncovered by the WHO research report. Therefore, a combination of factors is involved. There are probably members of staff who are within their rights to object to providing the service, but then there are also practical and structural issues involving the scheduling of abortions, and particularly surgical abortions. Hospital-based care is received after ten weeks, usually in the context of medical abortions, but further along, however, it will become a surgical abortion. Equally, our stance is that service users should always have the preference regarding whether they would like a surgical abortion or a medical abortion. In practice, however, the theatre space does not always exist. That would-----