Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

466. To ask the Minister for Health to establish a dedicated unit within the Health Service Executive with suitably qualified staff adequately supported and resourced to deal with the implementation of the protection of life during pregnancy and abortion issues. [19206/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Prior to the commencement of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act on 1st of January 2014 the Director General of the Health Service Executive (HSE) issued a letter to his Divisional Directors to instruct them to put in place operational protocols both at clinical and managerial level, to adhere to the certification and notification requirements enshrined in the Act.

In addition, the HSE was invested with a new statutory function of establishing and convening a Review Panel for the purpose of formal clinical reviews of decisions under the Act. The Quality Improvement Division lead on this process within the HSE.

The HSE is also required under section 15 of the Act to submit a report to the Minister for Health on Reviews carried out in the preceding year. The most recent HSE’s report covers the period from 1 January 2015 until 31 December 2105. The report shows that 1 application for review was made to the Executive during this period and 1 review was carried out under section 9 of the Act. The Review Committee found that this application did meet the criteria for a termination of pregnancy under the Act. This report has been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas and is published on the HSE’s website.