Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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I move amendment No. 14:

In page 6, between lines 29 and 30, to insert the following:

"Guarantee of access5. (1) The Minister for Health shall ensure that pregnant women may access abortion care in accordance with the terms of this Act in a safe and timely manner. The Minister shall be responsible for the provision and regulation of abortion care to the highest attainable standards.

(2) Access to abortion care, including to related sexual and reproductive healthcare before and after an abortion, shall not be impeded on discriminatory grounds, including on grounds of race, sex, religion, national or ethnic origin, marital or family status, immigration status, sexual orientation, age, or other social status.

(3) In making any decision under this Act, or in providing medical care and services under this Act, the provisions of the Act shall be interpreted in the manner most favourable to achieving positive health outcomes for the pregnant woman, and to the protection of her rights.".

The purpose of the amendment is to protect women and to ensure that abortion services, as part of a broad range of health services, deliver for women. The addition of this provision would bring Ireland into line with the prevailing trend of recently reformed abortion laws and, in particular, with countries that have had the same national conversation that we did over the past number of years, including Spain and Portugal, two countries that we referenced as part of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. It would make clear that women who seek abortion must not be subject to discrimination. It is a relatively simple amendment.