Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak to this Bill today. It has been a long time coming. The idea of safe access zones was first raised back in 2018 as a measure to protect women seeking access to abortion. Since then, we have seen multiple protests outside hospitals and surgeries. This legislation is very much needed to stop women being harassed when accessing these vital services. Five years on from repeal, I am glad this is now coming to pass. It is timely given that similar legislation was enacted in the North recently.

Let me be clear; people will still have the right to protest but they will have the right to do so in an appropriate location. They will not have the right to harass women accessing services, which is vital. We saw this outside the Rotunda a couple of years ago, when graphic images were on display and people tried to stop women entering the hospital, heckling them as they passed. This legislation will finally penalise that type of behaviour. Those engaging in such behaviour lack empathy and have little understanding of the circumstances that might cause a person to access abortion services.

I congratulate both Together for Safety on pushing for this matter to come before the Dáil and my colleague Senator Gavan, who moved that group's legislation in the Seanad. While this Bill is positive, it can be improved. As it stands, it is unclear if warnings will carry over to different locations. If they do not, it will allow people to receive warnings at multiple locations without committing an offence. We want to see a clear, practical and effective system of recording prior warnings included in this Bill. More generally, there is still more to do to ensure people have access to vital services. In many areas, termination services are still not available nearby. The Government and the HSE need to make sure these services improve and that easy access to services is provided to all who need it.

See this speech in context