Rebecca Moynihan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have not got anything prepared. I compliment Senator Gavan on his work with Together for Safety in Limerick in bringing in safe access zones legislation. I will make the point that the women who are being intimidated as they go through maternity services include women who are coming out of the hospital having received terrible news or are going in to access abortion services. Protests outside hospitals and GP surgeries also create a chill effect on GPs being able to operate their services. Just 10% of GPs and just over half of maternity units in this country are operating abortion services.

We still have a very long way to go in offering safe, legal and local access for women to services. That is why it is so important this legislation is passed. There are women now who are, let us say, living in a county like Sligo who have to undertake a 100-mile round trip to access a GP in another county and return after three days. The repeal review is coming up. We know that women still have to travel to the UK because their timelines are very short and because there are many grounds that are not covered under the legislation. I ask and urge Members of the Government side of the House in particular, to advocate within the Government to try to fast track the safe access zone legislation.

I saw in last week's budget something about which Senator Chambers has been very passionate and has spoken about a number of times in the House, that is, the funding for free contraception that came out of the committee work on the eighth amendment. It is very important this legislation is passed because the chill effect on GPs and maternity services means women are not able to access the local services they need.