Minister must prioritise laws on either abortion or fertility

A LACK of resources at the Department of Health means the new Minister for Health will have to decide which is more important — the need for legislation around when abortions can be sanctioned here or the need for legislation around fertility treatments.

Briefing notes given to the Minister for Health, James Reilly were posted on the department’s website last night and highlighted how both issues are high priority legislation. However, the minister was told “in light of current resources a decision will then have to be made as to which of these issues will be prioritised for the development of regulations or legislation”.

The Department of Health and Children is currently developing policy proposals to regulate the area of Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR) which includes IVF and IUI fertility treatments as there is no regulations in the area and it is, as such, a “legal vacuum”.