Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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216. To ask the Minister for Health if he has received a report from the Health Service Executive on the operation of Chapter 2 of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013, as required under section 15 of the Act; his views on whether the reporting requirements contained in sections 15 and 20 of the Act constitute an unnecessary level of ministerial and parliamentary scrutiny that no other area of health area is subject to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28904/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Section 15 and Section 20 of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act provides that I, as the Minister for Health, must publish a report covering the operation of the Act in the preceding year by 30th June each year and lay it before the Houses of the Oireachtas. As the Act was commenced on the 1st January 2014, the first annual report covering its operation will be published in June 2015. The provisions of Section 15 and Section 20 of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act were passed by the Houses of the Oireachtas in 2013.

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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217. To ask the Minister for Health if the clinical guidance document to assist health professionals in the implementation of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013 includes a clinically relevant standard for assessing real and substantial risk to life and distinguishing such risk from a risk to health; if doctors will be required under the 2013 Act to wait until a woman’s health deteriorates to the point where their life is at risk; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28905/14]

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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218. To ask the Minister for Health if the clinical guidance document to assist health professionals in the implementation of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013 includes a clear referral pathway for women, who seek treatment under section 7 of the Act because of a risk to life arising from physical health which is not imminent and not inevitable, and for their general practitioners, crisis pregnancy counsellors or other service providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28906/14]

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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219. To ask the Minister for Health if the clinical guidance document to assist health professionals in the implementation of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013 includes a referral pathway for the continuing care of women who seek treatment under section 7 of the Act because of physical health risk, section 8 for emergency care or section 9 where the risk is due to mental health issues and are refused such treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28907/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 217, 218 and 219 together.

The Guidance Document has been developed to assist health professionals in operating the Act when providing care to pregnant women with life threatening conditions. The document identifies specific referral pathways for the implementation of different sections of the Act as well as setting out the roles and responsibilities of the different health professionals that might be involved in the care of a patient in relevant circumstances.

The relevant professional bodies continue to be responsible for issuing clinical guidelines to their members in relation to medical conditions that might be relevant to the Act as required.