Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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265. To ask the Minister for Health if the three-day waiting period with respect to termination of pregnancy services remains in place; if there are no plans to amend or abolish same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27743/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Section 12 of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 provides that a termination of pregnancy may be provided after a period of not less than three days has elapsed from the date on which a medical practitioner has certified that the pregnancy concerned has not exceeded 12 weeks of pregnancy.

No changes have been made to the legislation since it was signed into law by the President in December 2018.

Section 7 of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 states:

“The Minister shall, not later than 3 years after the commencement of this section, carry out a review of the operation of this Act.”

The review clause was included in the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 in order to facilitate monitoring of the operation of the legislation in practice, as well as of the delivery of services in the area.

The Programme for Government Our Shared Future notes that the review will take place in 2021.

Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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266. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to a number of persons who have had to travel to the UK to access follow-up abortion care after the abortion pills they took failed; his plans to ensure that anyone whose abortion procedure was legally initiated in good faith is able to terminate their pregnancy in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27744/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 permits termination to be carried out in cases where there is a risk to the life, or of serious harm to the health, of the pregnant woman; where there is a condition present which is likely to lead to the death of the foetus either before or within 28 days of birth; and without restriction up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Expanded termination of pregnancy services were initiated on 1^stJanuary 2019 and are provided through participating doctors and hospitals throughout the country. However, I am aware that statistics reported by the UK Department of Health and Social Care showed that women with Irish addresses continued to access termination of pregnancy in that jurisdiction during 2019.

I wish to assure the Deputy that it is a priority for my Department that the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 is fully implemented, so enabling all women in Ireland to access services quickly and easily, without bias or judgment.

There is ongoing engagement between the Department of Health and the HSE to monitor service provision and to facilitate the smooth-running of the service.