Mr. Muiris O'Connor:

Many of the considerations the Deputy raised are very live in our work on the legislation. We are well aware that patients attending any health service and their family members are often at a vulnerable point in their lives and it is vital to afford safety, privacy and dignity to everyone in accessing all health services.

We are aware of the point the Deputy raised about the danger of the legislation being counterproductive. We do not propose in the legislation to afford the protection of the Bill only to those providing termination of pregnancy services. The protections will be provided to all health facilities that can provide such services, meaning all GPs and other medical practitioners in maternity hospitals.

The safe access zones legislation is intended to apply to all those services and thereby not draw particular attraction to GP practices that are currently providing termination of pregnancy services.

We are conscious the legislation introducing termination of pregnancy services is new and with Covid and so forth, the services are in their early stages. We are determined to support their roll-out as envisaged as part of integrated care. The comparisons with America do no hold up fully because of an important policy decision taken by these Houses to incorporate the services within primary care and secondary care. That in itself offers some protection. No one can know the purpose of anyone's reason to access a health service so there is some privacy afforded there and we will not make the mistake of zoning in on those services that are currently providing termination of pregnancy services because we want the numbers providing these services to continue to grow as the service rolls out. I thank the Deputy. We are very alive to the concerns he raises.