Ireland – First widespread administration of abortion pills likely to take place today

First widespread administration of abortion pills likely to take place today
Law requires at least three days elapse between a consultation and a termination

Jan 7, 2018
Paul Cullen

Today marks the day when Ireland’s new abortion service gets under way in earnest, with the first women likely to receive their medication in GP surgeries around the State.

With legislation requiring that at least three days elapse between a consultation with a doctor and a termination, a woman who visited a GP surgery that reopened last Wednesday, January 2nd, would have been due to take mifepristone, a drug that stops the pregnancy, on Saturday.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/first-widespread-administration-of-abortion-pills-likely-to-take-place-today-1.3749467

Ireland – Abortion: 162 GPs enough to end need to travel abroad – Harris

Abortion: 162 GPs enough to end need to travel abroad – Harris
Thirty doctors signed up do not want HSE to give their details out to avoid being targeted

Dec 29, 2018
Colm Keena, Jennifer Bray, Patsy McGarry

The 162 doctors signed up to provide abortion services in the State will “be enough” to ensure that women do not have to go abroad to terminate a pregnancy after January 1st, Minister for Health Simon Harris has said.

An uneven geographic spread of services will be available from Tuesday, when GPs can begin prescribing the abortion pill to women up to nine weeks into a pregnancy and hospitals can provide terminations up to 12 weeks. However, there are two counties where no GP has signed up to the service.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/abortion-162-gps-enough-to-end-need-to-travel-abroad-harris-1.3743390

29.12.2018

Irish Family Planning Association

National Maternity Hospital

Irish Family Planning Association to provide abortion services from January 7th

Irish Family Planning Association to provide abortion services from January 7th
Referral pathway must be finalised by HSE before service can begin, says medical director

Dec 21, 2018
Paul Cullen

The Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) is to start providing abortion services from January 7th – but only if the proper supports are in place.

Having completed its preparations for providing abortions, the IFPA intends to begin the service at its clinics in Dublin city centre and Tallaght next month “as long as the key elements of HSE services are finalised”.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/irish-family-planning-association-to-provide-abortion-services-from-january-7th-1.3739824

Ireland – Abortion services only available on fourth day

Abortion services only available on fourth day

Ellen Coyne
December 18 2018

Women seeking an abortion will have to wait three full days for the procedure, the chief medical officer has clarified. Angry pro-choice TDs said they had been led to believe that women would get an abortion on the third day and not have to wait until the fourth.

Abortion will be legal in Ireland from next month. There was controversy about the enforcment of a three-day waiting period between a doctor agreeing that a woman can have an abortion, and the procedure.

Continued: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/abortion-services-only-available-on-fourth-day-lswr9r8w6

‘Sheer Joy’: Ireland Will Have Free Abortion Care on January 1

‘Sheer Joy’: Ireland Will Have Free Abortion Care on January 1

Dec 17, 2018
Sarah Jaffe

Abortion in Ireland will be free, safe, and legal up to 12 weeks into pregnancy starting January 1, a major blow to the Catholic Church and opponents of the country’s abortion rights law, who tried to drag out the legislative process with support from U.S. anti-choice advisers.

To Bríd Smith, People Before Profit member of Irish parliament, the repeal of the Eighth Amendment banning abortion in Ireland was “one of those rare moments in life when you feel such joy, the sheer joy of beating back the Catholic Church’s agenda, really beating it back for once. And pride, because we put a huge amount of effort into it and had witnessed a new generation of young Irish people completely different to what we had known.”

Continued: https://rewire.news/article/2018/12/17/sheer-joy-ireland-will-have-free-abortion-care-on-january-1/

Abortion in Ireland: A guide to how it will work

Abortion in Ireland: A guide to how it will work
Everything you need to know before the planned introduction of termination services

Dec 7, 2018
Paul Cullen

With just three weeks to go before the planned introduction of abortion in Ireland, there remains widespread scepticism among health professionals that the deadline of January 1st will be met. The legislation to give effect to the measure still has to complete its passage through the Oireachtas and questions about resources and supports have still to be fully answered. The thorny issue of conscientious objection also looms large for many doctors, nurses and pharmacists, and existing Medical Council ethical guidelines governing the medical profession will not be revised in time for the deadline.

Notwithstanding these considerable doubts, the Government and in particular Minister for Health Simon Harris has made the provision of abortion by the start of next month an absolute priority. At this point, it therefore seems likely the service will begin as planned in the New Year.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/abortion-in-ireland-a-guide-to-how-it-will-work-1.3724020

Ireland – Nurses campaign to opt out of abortion provision

Nurses campaign to opt out of abortion provision

Wednesday, November 28, 2018
By Evelyn Ring

A group of nurses and midwives has joined GPs in declaring they do not want to participate in providing abortion services. The group, Nurses & Midwives4Life Ireland, says if a woman opts for a surgical termination, they will be asked to provide the pre-operative care, to which they object.

Last month, hundreds of anti-abortion GPs voiced their concerns about the new laws and asked Health Minister Simon Harris not to rush legislation through.

Continued: https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/nurses-campaign-to-opt-out-of-abortion-provision-888378.html

IReland – Simon Harris warns TDs against attempting to ‘frustrate or delay’ abortion bill

Simon Harris warns TDs against attempting to ‘frustrate or delay’ abortion bill

Monday, November 12, 2018
By Elaine Loughlin, Political Correspondent

The Health Minister has sent a clear warning to TDs who intend to use tactics to delay abortion legislation when it comes back before the Dáil.

Simon Harris has set down an extremely tight time-frame to get the legislation through the Oireachtas before Christmas and to get doctors on board with providing termination services from the start of January.

Continued: https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/simon-harris-warns-tds-against-attempting-to-frustrate-or-delay-abortion-bill-884779.html

Ireland – Clinics ‘shunned’ over abortion legislation meetings

Clinics ‘shunned’ over abortion legislation meetings

Ellen Coyne, Senior Ireland Reporter
September 27 2018

Non-profit women’s health clinics have expressed frustration amid claims that they have been left out of plans to provide access to abortion in Ireland.

The Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) and the Well Woman Centre have indicated that they have the expertise to provide abortions at up to nine weeks’ gestation. They have not been included, however, in meetings between the Department of Health and medical experts preparing for the legalisation of abortion next January.

Continued: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/clinics-shunned-over-abortion-legislation-meetings-0c0663kmj

Ireland – Concern over timeline for introducing abortion services

Concern over timeline for introducing abortion services

Wednesday, 19 Sep 2018
RTÉ News Political reporter

The Minister for Health has said he intends to meet medical professionals shortly regarding clinical guidelines being prepared for abortion services here.

Simon Harris's comments come following today's Oireachtas Health Committee, at which concerns were raised by representatives of GPs, gynaecologists and obstetricians over the lack of meetings between stakeholders on the matter.

Continued: https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2018/0919/994727-abortion/