John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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1611. To ask the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive has established an implementation group to progress the operational recommendations made in the Report of the Independent Review of the operation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018; the chair and membership of the group and its relationship with the Clinical Advisory Forum on termination of pregnancy services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37675/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Report of the Review of the operation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 was considered by Cabinet at the end of April. The Report made a range of recommendations, most of which are operational in nature with some proposing legislative change.

Government agreed that the HSE would establish an implementation group to progress the operational recommendations.

Significant progress is being made in respect of various recommendations in the Report. The HSE has advised that a significant number of additional sites will be introducing termination services in the coming months. Legislation providing for safe access zones has been initiated in the Houses and it is my intention to enact it before the end of the year.

The proposals around legislative change have been referred to the Joint Committee on Health for consideration.