The 8th: Ireland, the abortion referendum. You can feel the tectonic plates shifting

TV: This highly watchable film chronicles the Repeal side’s winning campaign of 2018

Wed, Aug 4, 2021
Ed Power

The historic significance of the vote to repeal the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, in the referendum of 2018, was lost on nobody at the time. Three years later, The 8th (RTÉ One, Wednesday, 9.35pm) captures the sense that tectonic plates were shifting under Irish society as the electorate went to the polls to allow abortion in Ireland.

The 8th, which comes to television after a video-on-demand run earlier this year, is told largely from the perspective of the Repeal campaign, particularly that of the veteran women’s-rights advocate Ailbhe Smyth. The point she and other campaigners make over and over is that, although the vote was of course about restoring to women their bodily autonomy, the wider context was the State’s beginning a long journey of atonement for decades of institutionalised misogyny.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/the-8th-ireland-the-abortion-referendum-you-can-feel-the-tectonic-plates-shifting-1.4638914

Ireland Rings in New Year With Free and Legal Abortion

Ireland Rings in New Year With Free and Legal Abortion

Prachi Gupta
Jan 2, 2019

January marks the first month women in Ireland can receive free, legal abortions in the country, months after voters chose to repeal a decades-long ban on the procedure.

Clinics are still preparing, the Guardian reports, as Irish president Michael Higgins signed the regulation of termination of pregnancy bill into law on December 20. However, at least nine of the state’s 19 maternity units and several outside clinics are planning to open this month. The government has also created “safe access zones” which ban anti-abortion protesters from harassing patients and staff at clinics and has set up a hotline to direct patients to local abortion services.

Continued: https://jezebel.com/ireland-rings-in-new-year-with-free-and-legal-abortion-1831436222

Apprehension on all sides before launch of Irish abortion services

Legislation and logistics have been fast-tracked to turn last May’s vote into reality

Rory Carroll Ireland correspondent
Tue 1 Jan 2019

Ireland is poised to roll out its first regular abortion services in the coming weeks in the wake of the referendum vote to lift the country’s near-total ban on abortion.

Politicians and officials fast-tracked legislation and logistical preparations to turn last year’s landslide vote in favour of liberalisation into reality for women who wish to terminate pregnancies.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/01/apprehension-on-all-sides-before-launch-of-irish-abortion-services

Ireland – HSE launches website with information on abortion services

HSE launches website with information on abortion services

22.12.2018

The HSE has launched a website with information on abortion services in Ireland.

It comes after President Michael D Higgins signed the legislation to allow for abortion services in Ireland to be put into law on Thursday.

The myoptions.ie section of the HSE website details information on how to get an abortion, abortion methods, aftercare and the possible risks involved.

Continued: http://admin-www.eveningecho.ie/nationalnews/HSE-launches-website-with-information-on-abortion-services-bec45072-cbd5-461a-8430-d773ea1a8ccf-ds

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 Bill signed into law by President

Abortion Bill signed into law by President
Development comes as Medical Council makes changes to its conduct and ethics code

Thu, Dec 20, 2018
Paul Cullen

A Bill that will give women access to abortion for the first time in the history of the State has been signed into law by President Michael D Higgins.

A statement released by Áras an Uachtaráin on Thursday evening said: “Having considered the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018, the President has signed the Bill and it has accordingly become law.”

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/abortion-bill-signed-into-law-by-president-1.3738504

Ireland – GPs must warn women of medical abortion failure rate, say new guidelines

GPs must warn women of medical abortion failure rate, say new guidelines

Eilish O'Regan
December 20 2018

GPs have been told to inform every woman who is about to have a medical abortion that it has a failure rate and that unrestricted termination cannot be provided beyond 12 weeks of pregnancy.

The advice is outlined in a set of interim guidelines issued to GPs by the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) in advance of the wider availability of abortion, due to come into effect on January 1.

Continued: https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/gps-must-warn-women-of-medical-abortion-failure-rate-say-new-guidelines-37643513.html

Ireland – Clinical guidelines on abortion services to be published

Clinical guidelines on abortion services to be published
Training for GPs and gynaecologists ahead of introduction of services in January

Dec 16, 2018
Harry McGee, Elaine Edwards

Clinical guidelines on the provision of abortion services in the State will be published by two key medical bodies on Monday ahead of the introduction of the service in the new year.

The Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP), will circulate guidelines to all their members as part of the preparations.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/clinical-guidelines-on-abortion-services-to-be-published-1.3733327

Ireland – Abortion services will be ‘unrecognisable’ in year’s time – Peter Boylan

Abortion services will be ‘unrecognisable’ in year’s time – Peter Boylan
HSE’s clinical adviser says ‘plenty’ of GPs available to provide services to those up to 12 weeks pregnant

Sun, Dec 16, 2018
Elaine Edwards

The abortion services put in place from January 1st will be “unrecognisable” in a year’s time once they are up and running, the clinical adviser to the Health Service Executive on the introduction of the service, Dr Peter Boylan has said.

Dr Boylan, a former master of the National Maternity Hospital, was asked on Sunday whether he believed the planned services would be operating from next month.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/abortion-services-will-be-unrecognisable-in-year-s-time-peter-boylan-1.3733138

16.12.2018