Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We are all very conscious that it is six years since repeal. It is one year since Marie O'Shea's report was published. It is four months since the Oireachtas health committee gave its report to the Minister for Health on the implementation of the O'Shea report recommendations. We all owe a debt of gratitude to Aoife Hegarty and the "RTÉ Investigates" team for last night's exposure of ongoing gaps in the provision of abortion care services to women who need them. Of course, we owe a debt of gratitude to those brave women who came forward and told their stories in last night's harrowing programme. I am very concerned to hear the Taoiseach's response today that the Government has yet to consider some of the key recommendations for legislative change made in the report. I absolutely acknowledge the improvements in operational delivery and the increase in the number of hospitals and GPs. This is greatly welcome for women in crisis pregnancy who need the service. This week we need to hear from the Minister for Health as to precisely when and how the Government proposes to implement the recommendations through legislation. We do have on the books the Bill of my colleague Deputy Howlin to regulate rogue crisis pregnancy agencies. I have just received a response to a parliamentary question from the Minister for Health stating it will be years before the current process of registration of counsellors will have effect in regulating rogue agencies out of existence. We saw very seriously concerning reports about the continued operation of such agencies last night. We need urgent debate in the House on a timeline for implementation of these crucial recommendations.

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