Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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1615. To ask the Minister for Health the definition of the term reproductive rights in the context in which it was used by a person (details supplied) on 8 December 2021 during a meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1100/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I assume the Deputy is referring to a mention of “sexual and reproductive rights approach” made during the meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health on 8 December 2021.

As the Deputy may be aware, in 1994 the United Nations International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) recognised rights to reproductive and sexual health as being key to women’s health. The basis for these rights is set out in a number of articles of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

In that context, the UN has defined sexual and reproductive rights as including the right to health care and information; the right to non-discrimination in the allocation of resources to health services and in their availability and accessibility. They also include the rights to autonomy and privacy in making sexual and reproductive decisions, as well as the rights to informed consent and confidentiality in relation to health services.