‘Historic moment’ as Irish parliament legalises abortion

'Historic moment' as Irish parliament legalises abortion

December 14, 2018

Ireland’s parliament passed a landmark legislation to make abortion legal for the first time in the Catholic-majority country, a “historic moment” which came after an Indian dentist died from blood poisoning in 2012 when the doctors refused her repeated requests to abort the foetus.

Ireland voted decisively to change the Constitution to repeal the Eighth Amendment in May, with 66.4 per cent voting in favour of new legislation to allow for the termination of pregnancies.

“The bill that allows for the introduction of abortion services in Ireland has passed all stages of the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) and will now go to President Michael D Higgins to be signed into law,” Irish Broadcaster RTE reported on Thursday.

Continued: https://www.rediff.com/news/report/historic-moment-as-irish-parliament-legalises-abortion/20181214.htm

Ireland – ‘Doctors divided as HSE rushes to tick boxes on abortion’

Maeve Sheehan: 'Doctors divided as HSE rushes to tick boxes on abortion'
Pressure is mounting for the January 1 start date for termination services to be put back

Maeve Sheehan
December 9 2018

There are 22 days to go before the roll-out of abortion services on January 1. It should be a historic occasion when the overwhelming support shown by Irish voters for a woman's right to choose becomes reality.

But as the deadline looms, disquiet among some doctors that it is ambitious to the point of being unsafe has grown louder.

Continued: https://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/maeve-sheehan-doctors-divided-as-hse-rushes-to-tick-boxes-on-abortion-37607881.html

Irish Lawmakers Vote to Allow Abortion, Part of Landmark Liberal Shift

Irish Lawmakers Vote to Allow Abortion, Part of Landmark Liberal Shift

By Ed O’Loughlin
Dec. 6, 2018

DUBLIN — Fighting off last-ditch resistance, Irish lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a bill introducing free and legal abortion to a nation that was long a bastion of staunchly conservative Catholicism, seven months after voters repealed a constitutional ban on abortion.

An often heated session of the Parliament’s lower house on Wednesday had to be extended several times, as a small number of members — mainly independent conservatives — talked at length on dozens of amendments, almost all of which were voted down by large majorities. The bill’s opponents attempted to prolong the debate even further, which could have derailed the government’s plan to make abortion available in January.

continued: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/06/world/europe/ireland-legal-abortion-vote.html

Ireland – Abortion: Wait rather than risk a tragedy

Abortion: Wait rather than risk a tragedy

Saturday, November 17, 2018

The Government hopes to pass abortion legislation before Christmas and Taoiseach Leo Varadakar has said he is confident the Government’s timeline to have pregnancy termination services available in January 2019 can be met.

Those are both big asks as the process of setting up the service has already met a number of hurdles. In the first instance, there remains a cohort of TDs and senators opposed to introducing abortion services here and they will do anything they can to stop or delay it.

Continued: https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/views/ourview/abortion-wait-rather-than-risk-a-tragedy-885875.html

Ireland – Harris wants free abortions for women from Northern Ireland

Harris wants free abortions for women from Northern Ireland

Ellen Coyne, Senior Ireland Reporter
November 12 2018

The Irish government is trying to find a way to offer free abortion services to women from Northern Ireland.

Sources close to Simon Harris said the health minister was “frustrated” by legal barriers that would block the state from covering the cost of an abortion for women coming from the North once the law in the republic is changed.

Continued: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/harris-wants-free-abortions-for-women-from-northern-ireland-hbhphbdj5

12.11.2018

Irish abortion legislation

Irish parliament debates bill to legalise abortion

Irish parliament debates bill to legalise abortion

By Deirdre Finnerty BBC News
4 October 2018

The Irish parliament is debating a bill to legalise abortion services in the country.

It is the first time the Irish parliament has addressed the issue since the Eighth Amendment - a near total constitutional ban on abortion - was removed.

The country voted to overturn its abortion ban in a referendum in May.

Continued: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45731990

Ireland – Abortion Rights Campaign to host seventh annual March for Choice later this month

Abortion Rights Campaign to host seventh annual March for Choice later this month
The march is set to highlight the fact that no legislation has been put in place since the referendum was repealed.

Kate Demolder
Sep 24, 2018

The seventh Annual March for Choice – organised by the Abortion Rights Campaign (ARC) – will take place in Dublin later this month, to highlight the fact that "nothing has changed" since the referendum on abortion was repealed back in May.

The march, taking place on Saturday 29 September, will see thousands take to the street to celebrate "recent victories and to ensure that no one is left behind as we move forward."

Continued: https://www.joe.ie/news/march-choice-september-641777

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/

Ireland – ‘Very, very difficult’: Doctors raise doubts over abortion services timeline

‘Very, very difficult’: Doctors raise doubts over abortion services timeline
Oireachtas health committee is told start date for GP-led structure from early next year is ‘challenging’

Wed, Sep 19, 2018

Doctors have expressed concerns that they will not be able to implement the Government’s plan to roll out GP-led abortion services from its intended start date in January.

Representatives from the Irish College of General Practitioners and the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists raised doubts at the Oireachtas health committee about being able to implement guidelines and provide abortion services by the Government’s proposed start-date early next year.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/very-very-difficult-doctors-raise-doubts-over-abortion-services-timeline-1.3634396

Ireland’s President signs law repealing constitutional ban on abortion

Ireland’s President signs law repealing constitutional ban on abortion
Michael D Higgins officially repealed the Eighth Amendment following a vote in May’s referendum on the issue.

September 18 2018

The bill repealing the Eighth Amendment, amending Ireland’s abortion laws was signed on Tuesday by the President of Ireland.

The Irish electorate voted to repeal the Eighth Amendment in May’s referendum, with just under 67% voting in favour of repeal.

Continued: https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/republic-of-ireland/irelands-president-signs-law-repealing-constitutional-ban-on-abortion-37330222.html