Abortion services should be set up in Ireland by new year, health minister says

Ireland’s health minister has said abortion services should be in place by the new year as planned.

Simon Harris said he was acting on the instruction of the Irish people by legislating to make termination safe and legal in the country, and he would not apologise for being ambitious about the timeline.

Government ministers approved legislation providing for legal abortion at a cabinet meeting on Thursday. The legislation will be introduced into parliament next week.

If passed, the new laws would give effect to the referendum outcome earlier this year.

In May, the Irish electorate voted overwhelmingly in favour of removing a controversial amendment of the constitution, which gave equal right to life to the unborn and the woman, and allowing terminations up to 12 weeks of pregnancy without restriction.

Abortion would be allowed only in limited circumstances thereafter.

The health minister said women had waited for too long for change.

Speaking after the cabinet meeting, Mr Harris said it was 125 days since the referendum was passed yet Irish women still could not access services in their home country and were being forced to travel abroad to access terminations.

“Since the scenes of relief in Dublin Castle back in May, 1,500 women have had scenes of crisis and devastation visit their home and visit their personal life, so we have to be ambitious,” Mr Harris said.

He added: “It shouldn’t be acceptable to women or anybody who cares for women that we can’t have this service in place (by January). I believe it’s doable.”

Crowds gathered in the courtyard at Dublin Castle to celebrate the outcome of the referendum when it was announced on May 26.

The minister said all TDs and senators had a duty to scrutinise the legislation but he said they should do so with the knowledge that women were still at risk.

Mr Harris said he believed the medical profession would facilitate the services being implemented.

He added that he had arranged to meet medical groups next week to work their way through the issue.

The health minister said he wanted to see safe access zones introduced around areas where women would be accessing abortion services to protect them from any harassment or intimidation.

Mr Harris said he would be introducing separate laws to that effect.