Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 15 November 2017

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution

Socioeconomic Context: Dr. Caitriona Henchion and Mr. Niall Behan, Irish Family Planning Association

1:30 pm

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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Two things are apparent to me but I do not want to put words in the mouth of Dr. Henchion. In essence, she has said that we would not meet the needs of the majority of women who need to access an abortion if we opted for a restrictive reasons-based criteria. I do not know how one would define a socio-economic reason. In that sense, and by comparison with other jurisdictions, what is the best way to do that? Is it early availability without restriction? Has the IFPA studied examples in other States?