Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 July 2026
208. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if she has convened stakeholders to consider the recommendations of the review of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 relating to section 11 of that Act; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52159/26]
View answerSection 11 of the 2018 Act, as currently drafted, reflects the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Eight Amendment. The Committee recommended that where a fetal abnormality is likely to result in death before or shortly after birth, it should be lawful to terminate a pregnancy, without gestational limit. It also recommended against termination of pregnancy where the unborn child has a fetal abnormality that is not likely to result in death before or shortly after birth.
The criteria around Section 11 were considered in great detail during the drafting of 2018 Act, to ensure it reflected these principles, and circumstances.
In line with statutory and Government commitments, a review of the operation of the 2018 Act, including Section 11, was initiated at the end of 2021. The final report of this review was submitted to the Minister for Health in early 2023.
In addition, a second review commissioned by the HSE’s Chief Clinical Officer in early 2022 examined the safety and effectiveness of services provided under Section 11 of the 2018 Act. This review included consultations with clinical experts and service users, with a particular focus on strengthening compassionate care and emotional support for families facing fatal fetal anomalies. The final report, presented in April 2023, outlined a series of recommendations to further enhance these services.
The HSE has established a National Termination of Pregnancy Service Improvement Group to lead the implementation of both the operational recommendations arising from the statutory review of the 2018 Act and those stemming from the HSE’s review of the safety and operation of Section 11 of that Act.
