Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The implementation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 is a priority for the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, for myself, and for the rest of us. A woman should be able to access these services in a local maternity hospital. It is expected that, by introducing such services across the country, women will be spared the need to travel lengthy distances to access a termination. At present, ten out of 19 hospital maternity units are providing the full service. The HSE has advised that additional units are expected to begin providing termination of pregnancy services in the coming months with the remaining hospital units being considered for service provision. It should be noted that terminations up to nine weeks of pregnancy are also provided by general practitioners and that 325 GPs nationally have signed up to provide this service in the community setting. The HSE has advised that feedback from a wide variety of stakeholders, including doctors from the START group and the Irish College of General Practitioners, suggests that the service is bedding down well.

The HSE My Options telephone helpline became operational on 1 January 2019. This is a freefone line for persons to call if they experience a crisis pregnancy. The information and counselling service is available from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Monday to Friday, as well as from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. It is staffed by trained counsellors. The telephone nurses service is available on a 24-hour basis and is staffed by nurses and midwives. My Options can provide an interpreter for 240 different languages and its information leaflet has been translated into six.

There is regular ongoing engagement between the Department of Health and the HSE to facilitate the efficient operation of the service and to resolve any issues that arise. As the Senator has rightly said, we have to ensure the €12 million is spent and that it is spent effectively and properly. Any suggestion of obstruction or refusal of care must be dealt with under the Act. I will bring these concerns back to the Minister, Deputy Harris, for a more detailed answer.