Legislation for safe access zones at abortion services to be introduced 

Legislation allowing for safe access zones for abortion services will make up part of an 18-month plan for women's health to be launched by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly on Tuesday. Picture: Gareth Chaney

Legislation allowing for safe access zones for abortion services will make up part of an 18-month plan for women's health to be launched by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly on Tuesday.

The Women’s Health Action Plan 2022 will see €31m in development funding for improving and extending women’s health services and will see safe access zones provided for in legislation. Legislation to protect abortion service providers and users alike from intimidation when entering healthcare facilities was due to be introduced in tandem with the introduction of abortion services in 2019. However, plans to establish 100m safe zones have yet to be implemented.

The women's health plan will also see specialist menopause clinics increase from one to four nationally in 2022, 'see and treat' gynaecology clinics go from 14 to 20, and two more regional fertility hubs open this year.

A new specialist endometriosis service will open in Cork while moves will be made to embed lactation consultants and perinatal mental health services in all maternity units, as well as 'period poverty' initiatives in all 26 counties.

The cabinet will also hear that the Government is unlikely to make a move to cut fuel or energy prices this week, despite rising prices.

Prices at fuel pumps hit €2 a litre over the weekend as the combined effects of soaring energy costs and the war in Ukraine hit home.

Reports over the weekend suggested that the Government may use a swing mechanism to bring down prices. Under this scheme, excise duties would decrease as the cost of raw materials increased.

However, the Irish Examiner understands that no memo will be brought to Cabinet on Tuesday as measures are still being examined by civil servants and officials. A senior minister said that any plan will have to wait until a white paper by the European Commission on energy market interventions has been published and it was possible but not certain that it could be done this week.

A source said that the difficulty with a straight tax rate cut would be the potential for more to be needed in a short space of time, which is why a swing mechanism is considered preferable.

Meanwhile, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath will bring a memo to Cabinet setting out the steps he is taking to maximise Ireland’s drawdown from the EU's Brexit Adjustment Reserve.

Ireland is set to be the largest beneficiary of the fund with an allocation of over €1bn, equivalent to 20% of the entire reserve and has already received €361m in funding.

The Government will also approve the preliminary case for the Bus Connects programme from Transport Minister Eamon Ryan at Cabinet, allowing the National Transport Authority to commence the procurement process for Next Generation Ticketing, which will allow users to pay with phones or bank cards.

The Bus Connects plan will see 230km of bus corridors and 200km of cycling lanes built, with the first tranche (Clongriffin to city centre; Blanchardstown to city centre; Tallaght/ Clondalkin to city centre; and Bray to city centre) beginning construction by 2024.

Mr Ryan will also table a Circular Economy Bill and Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien will table the text of the Electoral Reform Bill.