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Abortion Working Group calls on Minister for Health to take immediate action on Abortion Review

Published: Thursday, November 18, 2021

The Abortion Working Group, chaired by the National Women’s Council (NWC), has written to Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, to express our serious concern over the confusing and contradictory messages regarding the legally mandated abortion review

This Review was announced last March, yet six months on, there is still a lack of clarity regarding the timeline or scope of the Review. When questioned on this process in the Dail on 9 November, An Taoiseach Michael Martin appeared to have little knowledge of it.

As a group of organisations working with often vulnerable service-users, we see first-hand the reality of ongoing barriers to abortion care. The Abortion Working Group has written to Minister Donnelly with three clear asks for immediate action:
 

  • Publicly announce the Independent Chair and the panel of experts, including service users, providers and reproductive rights advocates, who will govern this process
  • Publish on the Department of Health website the Terms of Reference for the Review drawing on our presentation to you on this from June 2021
  • Provide a clear timeline for the Review duration, including public consultation to commence in January 2022

 

Orla O’Connor, NWC Director said:

“Many members of the Abortion Working Group are voluntary organisations which are stepping up to provide support for women and pregnant people in desperate circumstances. We need to see significant legal changes and practice improvements if the Termination of Pregnancy Act is to guarantee equitable, accessible and legal abortion for all in need. This can only be achieved by having a robust, human-rights based Review of abortion law, policy and practice, grounded in lived experience. It is critical that we have clarity around the Review timelines, Terms of Reference and independent Chair, without further delay.”
 

ENDS/

For more information, please contact Vicky Masterson, Digital Campaigns & Communications Officer NWC 087 100 0385

Spokespeople available from National Women’s Council and Termination for Medical Reasons

Notes to Editor:

Letter in full sent to Minister Donnelly from the Abortion Working Group

RE: Clarity on Abortion Legislation Review Urgently Required
 

Dear Minister Donnelly,

I am writing on behalf of the sub-committee of the Abortion Working Group concerned with the 3-year review of the operation of the Health (Regulation of the Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. As you know, the Abortion Working Group is a group of civil society organisations and healthcare providers established in early 2019 and chaired by the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWC). The purpose of the Working Group is to provide a space for information sharing and collective advocacy for groups working to ensure safe access to abortion in Ireland.

As a group of experts working to improve access to and experience of reproductive healthcare in Ireland, we are writing to express our serious concern over the confusing and contradictory messages regarding the legally mandated abortion Review. This Review was announced last March, yet six months on, we still do not know who the independent expert leading it is or what the timelines are for the Review duration and expected completion. Aside from basic details on this being a three-strand process, there is still a lack of clarity regarding the specific Terms of Reference of the Review. When questioned on this process in the Dail on 9 November, our Taoiseach appeared to have little knowledge of it.

As a group of organisations working with often vulnerable service-users, we see first-hand the reality of ongoing barriers to abortion care. Many of our members are voluntary organisations which are stepping up to provide support for women and pregnant people in desperate circumstances. We know that significant legal changes and practice improvements are required if the Termination of Pregnancy Act is to guarantee equitable, accessible and legal abortion for all women and pregnant people in need. There is no time to delay.

We are writing with three clear asks:

  • Publicly announce the independent Chair and the panel of experts, including service users, providers and reproductive rights advocates, who will govern this process
  • Publish on the Department of Health website the Terms of Reference for the Review drawing on our presentation to you on this from June 2021
  • Provide a clear timeline for the Review duration, including public consultation to commence in January 2022

To be clear, delays and ambiguities are contributing to much uncertainty and apprehension in what is already a stressful and uncertain period. This ambiguity has a direct adverse impact on women and pregnant people’s lives, as well as those of us who work with them to provide much-needed support.

Yours sincerely,

[Letter Description automatically generated]

_______

Orla O’Connor, Director, National Women’s Council


CC: Robert Watt, Secretary General, Department of Health

Sean Crowe TD, Chair, Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health

 

Endorsed by the following members of the Abortion Working Group.

Abortion Rights Campaign

Abortion Support Network

Alliance for Choice

Amnesty International

Disabled Women Ireland

Doctors for Choice

Irish Council for Civil Liberties

Inclusion Ireland

National Collective of Community Based Women’s Networks

Termination for Medical Reasons

Together for Safety

Union of Students in Ireland

Mairead Enright, Reader in Feminist Legal Studies, Birmingham Law School.

Dr Sinead Kennedy, Coalition to Repeal the Eight

Ailbhe Smith, Former Co-Director of Together for Yes

Irish Family Planning Association

 

About the Abortion Working Group
The Abortion Working Group, chaired by NWCI, is a collective of civil society organisations and healthcare providers which was established in 2019. The purpose of the group is to provide a space for information sharing and collective advocacy for groups working to ensure safe access to abortion in Ireland. The Group advocates for the provision of safe and effective access to a high-quality and comprehensive abortion care services.

The Group has come together to monitor the continued roll out and strengthening of abortion care services and will advocate where necessary for resources, changes and improvements and further service development. The group is working towards the 3-year review of Ireland’s abortion legislation and will advocate for a women and pregnant person-centred and human rights-focused review process.

The Abortion Working Group intends to ensure that women and pregnant people’s experiences of abortion care in Ireland are heard and taken into account, particularly those who are often marginalised or who face additional difficulties in accessing services as well as those who are still forced to travel to access abortion services. The Group also aims to ensure that abortion care providers receive the support, protections and resources that they need to provide a high quality abortion care service. The Group will challenge efforts to undermine abortion services or access to care.

 

About NWC

The National Women’s Council is the leading national representative organisation for women and women’s groups in Ireland, founded in 1973. We have over 190 member groups and a large and growing community of individual supporters.

The ambition of the National Women’s Council is an Ireland where every woman enjoys true equality and no woman is left behind. This ambition shapes and informs our work, and, with our living values, how we work. We are a movement-building organisation rooted in our membership, working on the whole island of Ireland. We are also part of the international movement to protect and advance women’s and girls’ rights. Our purpose is to lead action for the achievement of women’s and girls’ equality through mobilising, influencing, and building solidarity. Find out more on www.nwci.ie