Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

749. To ask the Minister for Health when the terms of reference for the three-year review of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 will be published; if a company or organisation has or will be commissioned to deal with the service user and service provider strands of the review; if a company has been appointed or chosen, the name of the organisation; the terms of reference it has been given; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46430/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The review of the operation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 is being progressed this year, in line with statutory and Government commitments. Under section 7 of the Act, the review must be initiated by January 2022. It will comprise a three-part approach to appraise the operation of the Act, with strands focusing on service users, service providers and a public consultation.   

An independent expert will be appointed to lead the review. Independent research commissioned to inform the service user and service provider strands will form key elements of the review. An invitation will also be extended to all interested groups, organisations and members of the public to provide their views to inform the review of the operation of the legislation.  

The service provider strand of the review will be commissioned in due course. The service user strand of the review will draw on a research study commissioned by the HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme. The research is a large-scale qualitative on women’s experiences of abortion and unplanned pregnancy support services since the implementation of the Act on 1 January 2019. 

A full report collating all three strands of the review, and including any necessary recommendations, will be submitted to me, as Minister for Health, for consideration once complete.