Savita Halappanavar memorial and abortion review
Deputy Barry marked Savita Halappanavar's anniversary, called for a permanent memorial and raised continuing gaps in abortion access. The Taoiseach endorsed remembering Savita and outlined the statutory review of abortion legislation under way.
Friday week marks the tenth anniversary of the cruel and unnecessary death of Savita Halappanavar. I commend the organisers of the Savita anniversary march for health, equality and bodily autonomy, which will take place on Saturday, 29 October in Dublin. Initiated by ROSA, the socialist feminist organisation, and supported by the National Women's Council, the Union of Students in Ireland and Unite the Union, among others, this march has been organised for two key reasons. The first is in remembrance of Savita and to call for a permanent memorial to her to be established. The second is to highlight the need for further change in the law four years after repeal. Our National Maternity Hospital is being handed over to a Catholic organisation.
Comment on this
Many maternity hospitals do not provide abortion services. Abortion pills are not provided by 90% of GP services. Hundreds of women are still being forced to travel abroad for abortion care every year and many of these are in cases of foetal anomaly. Pregnant people are still forced to endure a paternalistic three-day wait-----
Comment on this
-----before securing access to the abortion pill. When will the abortion review be complete and will the Taoiseach support the call for a permanent memorial to Savita in this State?
Comment on this
I appreciate the points the Deputy has made in respect of remembering Savita Halappanavar and of those taking part in the remembrance ceremony. He raises an important issue. As he knows, the Minister for Health has appointed Ms Marie O'Shea BL as the independent chair of the review of the legislation.
There is a requirement in the 2018 Act that the legislation would be reviewed. There are three strands to the review. One is the public consultation that closed on 1 April. Another is research on the experience of women who have accessed abortion care services, conducted by Dr. Catherine Conlon, which was published in July. The third is the research being carried out by the Manchester Metropolitan University, which seeks to capture the views and experiences of termination of pregnancy service providers. That will feed into an analysis of how the Act is working. The report is expected by the end of the year. The Minister and the Government will give that careful consideration. It is on track to be completed by the end of the year.
The Deputy's description of the new maternity hospital is not correct.