Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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185. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on the status of the O'Shea review of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23724/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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A review of the operation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 was completed in 2023.

The final report of the review made several recommendations, most of which are operational in nature and are focused around increasing access to services.

Significant progress has been made, with termination services in early pregnancy (up to 12 weeks) now being provided in all 19 maternity hospitals.

There has also been a sustained increase in community providers, As of May 2025, there are now 456 termination of pregnancy providers in the community. This includes 445 GP contractors and 11 women’s health services contractors.

Furthermore, the revised model of care introduced in response to the Covid pandemic was approved as the enduring model of care. Under this blended approach, it is possible for one of the two consultations required for termination in early pregnancy to take place remotely. This alleviates the time and expense involved in travelling to the doctor’s surgery twice.

Safe Access Zones legislation came into effect on Thursday, 17 October 2024, under the Health(Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Act 2024.

The cumulative effect of these measures substantially reduces barriers and increases access to services for those who need it.