Abortion legislation fails to clear Dáil after three days of discussion

Legislation to allow for the commencement of abortion services will face more debate after it failed to clear the Dáil despite three days of discussion.

The requirement for an ultrasound prior to an abortion and the administration of pain relief to the foetus were among the amendments discussed during more than five hours of allocated Dáil time.

Two doctors will now be allowed to provide abortion services to a woman after an amendment to the Health (Termination of Pregnancy) Bill was accepted.

Concern had been raised that the certifying doctor may not always be available to see the woman again after the three-day waiting period and the amendment now addresses this.

During the lengthy debate Fine Gael TD Bernard Durkin asked that TDs follow through on the result of the referendum.

“I would plead with the members who are regurgitating what went on before the referendum and in the course the referendum, this is a serious issue, we were given responsibility and we must now carry out the responsibility, recognise that we have a job to do and do it,” he said.

There was a long discussion with many contributions on the administration of pain relief to the foetus prior to an abortion.

However, Health Minister Simon Harris said the purpose of the legislation was not to regulate how doctors go about their work and “there is a very thin line” which politicians cannot cross in drafting laws.

Meanwhile a group of pharmacists are the latest group of health professionals to call on Mr Harris to amend the abortion bill to allow them opt out of playing any part in an abortion service.

A group calling themselves Pharmacists for Human Rights issued a statement saying they have “a human right to freedom of conscience, religion and belief” and that their right to freedom of conscience “must be included and protected” in the bill.

The group said the minister “has failed to consider the most basic practical issue of how the medications used in abortions will be manufactured, provided and dispensed”.

Earlier this week a group of nurses and midwives joined anti-abortion GPs in declaring they do not want to participate in providing abortion services.

The group, Nurses & Midwives4Life Ireland, argue that if a woman opts for a surgical termination, they will be asked to provide the pre-operative care, to which they object.

Last month, hundreds of anti-abortion GPs also voiced their concerns about the new laws.