Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I do not see how the Minister could argue that the provisions of amendment No. 12 could limit a future review. It is just insisting that certain important indicators of whether women who need abortion services are gaining access to them are met. We are trying to ensure that women who need abortion services have genuine access to them. If over the next three years we discover that, for example, women who need abortion services and should have them are still travelling to Britain, it would be an indication that the legislation had failed and needed to be examined to ensure that additional hardship was not being put on Irish women. Similarly on the issue of Northern Ireland and the recommendations of the Citizens' Assembly, which have not been fully followed through on in this legislation, all of these issues should be examined to ascertain whether the legislation has had its desired effect in guaranteeing the welfare and health of pregnant women and their right to access abortion services. I do not see why the Minister would have a problem with amendment No. 12 and he should accept it.

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