Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I ask the Chair to bear with me for another few questions. The issue of whether a chairperson can have access to the expertise or, alternatively, an expert panel is appointed and we know who they are, their background and contribution to this process matters to service providers and users. We need to review that and consider the appointment of an expert panel. I am totally dissatisfied with e-tendering for a chairperson. We should know today who that chairperson is. My office has been searching for published criteria or an e-tender for the position of chairperson. The Minister stated that is being published today. Perhaps the civil servants who are present could circulate that information as well as the documents members have just received.

There are issues the legislation has not dealt with that are really important, such as safe zones. One of the chill factors on doctors providing the services is that of protests and intimidation at doctors' clinics or homes or affecting their families, or, indeed, intimidation of users of the service. The issue of safe access zones needs to be dealt with. It has not been mentioned.

Similarly, the issue of extending the provision of access to free contraception has not been mentioned. It is fine that it is coming in for women up to the age of 25, but women do not stop being reproductive or sexually active at the age of 25. They may still be very poor and unable to afford the type of contraception they need. That needs to be considered.

One of the key recommendations of the committee that is not in the legislation is the consideration of non-ethos-based sex education. There is no sign of that coming from the State. It is clearly connected with the question of crisis pregnancy and how we deal with the entire sector.

I ask the Minister to address my questions on safe zones, non-ethos-based sex education and the extension of the provision of free contraception to cohorts over the age of 25.