Crisis pregnancy agencies regulation
Deputy Brendan Howlin said promised regulation of rogue crisis pregnancy agencies had not appeared despite a ministerial commitment. The Taoiseach said he would meet the Minister for Health and come back to the Deputy later that day.
Last November, I tabled a Bill to tackle the issue of rogue crisis pregnancy agencies. These bodies abuse women who are in incredibly vulnerable positions. The agencies mislead, lie and frighten these women. The Bill passed Second Stage and is now stopped on Committee Stage because of a commitment by the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, to regulate in this area before the summer recess. I fully accepted this commitment and the bona fides of the Minister when he explained it to me. Six months after the first debates on the legislation we still have not seen anything resembling draft regulations finally to tackle this area. Given the very firm commitment by the Taoiseach and his officials at the Oireachtas committee, and I believe the good faith of the Minister, when will we see and debate the regulations to give effect to the intentions of the House in this regard?
