Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 February 2026
265. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 551 of 12 February 2026, if a response will issue to the question given the authors of that report referred to in the answer stated in the Oireachtas Committee on Health (details supplied) that they did not speak to one woman. [12992/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, an independent review of the operation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 was completed in 2023. As part of this review a public consultation was held which provided organisations, stakeholders, advocacy groups, and all other interested parties with the opportunity to inform the review of the operation of the legislation.
Service user research was carried out to investigate unplanned pregnancy and abortion care. This study, which was commissioned by the HSE’s Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme in September 2019, generated in-depth understanding of the experiences of women who have accessed abortion care services since the commencement of the Act.
Service provider research was carried out by Manchester Metropolitan University. This qualitative research captured the views/experiences of termination of pregnancy service providers.
Finally, the Independent Chair assessed the extent to which the objectives of the 2018 Act have been achieved, analysing in that regard the findings of the three strands of information from the first phase. The Chair also drew on the findings of other relevant peer-reviewed research and consulted with stakeholders as necessary before providing conclusions.
