*** Update ***
This initiative has now closed.
Thanks to everyone who participated.
The public consultation for the Three Year Review of the abortion law is now live. The closing date for making a submission is close of business on Friday, 1 April 2022.
Before clicking on the link to make a submission, have a quick read of the points below. There is a link at the bottom of this page for those wishing to make a more detailed and comprehensive submission. For those who wish to make a short and to the point submission, the following steps will hopefully serve as a useful guide:
Step 1:
Fill in the form (link below) with your basic personal details, completing Part 1.
Step 2:
Skip to Q4(a) of Part 2 which asks if there are parts of the Abortion Act which have not operated well. This is your opportunity to check “Yes” and detail the issues you have with the operation of the Act below in Q4(b), which must be limited to 500 words.
Step 3:
In Q4(b) you have the opportunity to outline the issues with the abortion law and proposing urgent recommendations. This may include some or all of the following points:
- Overhaul My Options Hotline: An urgent overhaul of how the State-run My Options hotline operates is required, based on the recent revelations that have come to light showing My Options counsellors advising clients to book an abortion appointment even in situations where they are unsure about whether they want an abortion or not.
- Promote Positive Alternatives: Many women who experience an unplanned pregnancy do not necessarily wish to go down the road of abortion. People with experience in meeting the needs of women in these situations should be invited to participate at the heart of the decision-making process and not be excluded as currently is the case. It is appalling that the State does not support make known or promote positive alternatives to abortion. This needs to change.
- Pain Relief: The abortion law should be amended to ensure pain relief is given to unborn babies prior to late-term abortions.
- Provide Medical Care: The abortion law should be amended to ensure babies who survive late-term abortions are given medical care and not left to die alone and unaided.
- Prohibit D&E Abortions: Barbaric D&E abortions late-term abortions that currently take place should be prohibited.
- Investigate Adverse Effects: A mechanism should be established to investigate adverse events that occur under the 2018 abortion law.
- Comprehensive Statistical Information: Comprehensive statistical information should be recorded to better understand the operation of the abortion law, and to ensure openness and transparency. Currently, this information is not recorded.
- Protect Freedom of Conscience: The ‘protections’ currently in place do not protect healthcare workers from being forced to facilitate abortions taking place. Proper freedom of conscience protections for healthcare workers need to be introduced.
- Protect Freedom of Expression: The constitutional freedom of expression rights of all citizens, including those who hold pro-life views need to be protected.
- Prohibit Telemedicine Abortions: The government sanctioning of telemedicine ‘home abortions’ needs to end. Remote consultation ‘home abortions’ pose a serious health risk to women and increase the likelihood of women being pressured into having abortions they don’t want.
- Retain The Three-Day Waiting Period: the three-day waiting period before an abortion can take place has saved countless lives and should be retained.
- Remove Taxpayer Funding: Taxpayer funded abortions should be ended.
For more detailed information on the above points, see our ‘End the Silence’ document which outlines our full recommendations on the Three Year Review here
Step 4:
Complete the form by entering your preferences for personal information and data protection in Q9. Then submit the form through the possible processes (post, email, online form) detailed elsewhere.
Make Submission Here
To access the submission form, you should go to the Department of Health’s website on the review:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/67c5c-review-of-the-operation-of-the-health-regulation-of-termination-of-pregnancy-act-2018-public-consultation
The form is downloadable and can be printed and filled manually or it can be completed through a Word processing programme and then emailed. You can complete your submission via an inbuilt form on the website linked above.
For those wishing to make a longer submission, addressing every section of the Government’s consultation form, click here