Holly Cairns (Cork South-West, Social Democrats)
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833. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 668 of 7 October 2025, if her Department has accepted the recommendations of the Marie O’Shea report in regard to the removal of the three-day waiting period, the end of criminalisation of doctors and the need for clarity when it comes to providing abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormality; and to detail the work of her Department to date in order to enact these specific recommendations. [54846/25]

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 a range of recommendations, most of which are operational in nature, with some proposing legislative change.

Significant progress has been made in relation to the operational recommendations.

All maternity hospitals in Ireland are providing termination services in accordance with the legislation. There has also been a sustained increase in Community providers which now stands at 468.

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 is substantially reducing barriers and increasing access to services for those who need it. The issue of any legislative change would need very careful consideration.