A Bill that will give women access to abortion for the first time in the history of the State has been signed into law by President Michael D Higgins.

A statement released by Áras an Uachtaráin on Thursday evening said: “Having considered the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018, the President has signed the Bill and it has accordingly become law.”

The Bill finished its final stage in the Seanad earlier this month after weeks of sometimes heated debate in both the Dáil and Seanad. It follows a referendum in May on the removal of the Eighth Amendment from the Constitution, which guaranteed the unborn and mother an equal right to life. Some 67 per cent of the electorate voted to repeal the amendment.

Minister for Health Simon Harris will now have to sign a number of statutory instruments to give effect to the Bill now that it is signed into law by the President.

The Bill was signed by the President as the Medical Council deleted provisions from its code which will mean that no ethical guidance on performing abortions will be in place for doctors when the legislation comes into force next month.

Having considered the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018, the President has signed the Bill and it has accordingly become law. — President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) December 20, 2018

Conflicted

The council took the decision to delete four of the five paragraphs dealing with abortion from its guide on professional conduct and ethics because they conflicted with the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act.

The decision was taken at a specially convened meeting on Wednesday night. The council is updating the ethical guide but this process will not be ready in time for the introduction of abortion services on January 1st.

Two of the four deleted paragraphs state that a doctor has an ethical duty to make every reasonable effort to protect the life and health of pregnant women and their unborn babies; and that in exceptional circumstances, it may be necessary to terminate the pregnancy to protect the life of the mother while making every effort to preserve the life of the baby. The other two deal with situations where there is a real and substantial risk to the life of the woman, and the provision of information for abortions abroad.

Slightly edited

The remaining paragraph remains in place, slightly edited to change the reference from “abortion” to “termination of pregnancy”. It states that doctors “have a duty to provide care, support and follow-up for women who have had a termination of pregnancy”.

The council plans to write to all 23,000 registered doctors in the State to inform them of the changes to the guide.

“We are currently engaging in a very comprehensive process to update the Medical Council guidelines having only recently closed a consultation with doctors and key stakeholders in which over 1,400 responses were received,” said Dr Suzanne Crowe, chair of the council’s ethics working group.

“Today’s announcement ensures that our ethical guidance is not in conflict with the new legislation and provides reassurance to doctors who are involved in delivering this service.”

Reviewed

Aside from the paragraphs on abortions, sections of the guide dealing with “dignity of the patient”, “equality and diversity” and “conscientious objection” are being reviewed.

Once a new wording is finalised, the council will again consult with doctors and other stakeholders, but this would not happen before the legislation comes into force, Dr Crowe said.</s>Abortion has become officially legal in Ireland after President Michael D Higgins signed the Bill into law today.

The Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018 will allow access to abortion on request for up to 12 weeks and on restricted grounds beyond this from January 1.

More than 3,000 doctors were issued with clinical guidelines on abortion services yesterday.

GPs will be able to provide terminations via medication for women who are under nine weeks pregnant.

A woman will have three consultations with the doctor with a three-day delay between the first and second meeting.

Amnesty International welcomed the signing into law of the Bill, saying it was a "historical milestone" for Ireland.

“We welcome Ireland’s new abortion law as both a historical milestone for this country and an inspiration for millions of people globally," said Sorcha Tunney, Campaign Coordinator of It’s Time campaign for Amnesty International Ireland.

"Ireland’s abortion law was one of the most restrictive in the world, and today that is finally ending.”

“Today is also a day to reflect on where we have come from. For over 35 years, women and girls have been denied access to safe and legal abortion beyond when their life was at risk. Hundreds of thousands of women and girls were forced to travel, forced into secrecy and shame. They were gravely denied their human rights.

"We look forward to the full implementation of the Act but will be looking to engage with the Department of Health in its three-year review. We will continue our campaigning to make sure the law is human rights compliant, and that pregnant people are not prevented from accessing the healthcare they need,” Ms Tunney said.</s>Abortion will be legal in Ireland for the first time after President Michael D Higgins signed the new Bill governing the termination of pregnancies into law.

Women will have access to abortion on request up to 12 weeks and on restricted grounds from January 1.

The referendum on repealing the eighth amendment in May saw over 66% voting in favour, paving the way for ground-breaking new abortion legislation.

The Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018 was proposed by the government and passed through the Dail earlier this month after weeks of intense debate.

President Higgins completed the process as he signed the legislation into law at Áras an Uachtaráin on Thursday evening, ensuring that it will come into effect from the start of next year.

Health Minister Simon Harris described the passing of the Bill as the beginning of a "new journey".

He told the Irish Times: "This is a genuinely historic moment. It paves the way for the implementation of the service for termination of pregnancy in January 2019.

"The passage of the legislation allows for the beginning of a new journey. It is the start of a new era for women’s healthcare."

Amnesty Ireland's Sorcha Tunney meanwhile described the moment as "historic".

She said: “We welcome Ireland’s new abortion law as both a historical milestone for this country and an inspiration for millions of people globally.

"Ireland’s abortion law was one of the most restrictive in the world, and today that is finally ending.

“Today is also a day to reflect on where we have come from. For over 35 years, women and girls have been denied access to safe and legal abortion beyond when their life was at risk.

"Hundreds of thousands of women and girls were forced to travel, forced into secrecy and shame. They were gravely denied their human rights.

“In May, the people of Ireland voted by a landslide for access to abortion care based on a pregnant person’s right to make decisions about her pregnancy, and her health.

"People clearly see it for the human rights issue that it is. And for Ireland to move from a near total ban on abortion to access on request is a huge win in the global campaign for reproductive rights.”</s>PRESIDENT OF IRELAND Michael D Higgins has signed the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill into law, making abortion services legal in Ireland.

The new legislation passed through all stages of the Oireachtas this month, completing its passage in the Seanad.

The Act allows for terminations of pregnancy up to 12 weeks. It also provides for terminations where there is a risk to the life or a serious risk to the health of the pregnant woman.

Women who have been given a diagnosis of fatal foetal abnormalities will now be able to legally avail of early termination of pregnancy in the hospital they are being treated in.

The general scheme of the bill was drafted ahead of May’s referendum on the Eighth Amendment when the Irish electorate voted by 66.4% to 33.6% to remove the constitutional ban on abortion services.

Thanking campaigners who had “fought for 35 years to change a nation, to change hearts and minds”, Health Minister Simon Harris called the passing of the bill though the Oireachtas as a “genuinely historic moment”.

“I want to thank the minority who fought the battle in here when it was convenient for the majority to ignore,” he added.

More than 170,000 women and girls have travelled from Ireland to another country for an abortion since 1980, with the vast majority going to Britain.

Over 3,000 women travelled to the England and Wales for abortions last year, while many others bought abortion pills online.

Abortion services are expected to being next month. However, some doctors and hospitals have said they are unlikely to be ready to provide terminations in January.</s>It's been seven months since the vote to #RepealThe8th Amendment, so you may be wondering when abortion will officially become legal in Ireland. There's some good news for reproductive rights activists: The date is less than two weeks away.

Abortion will become legal in Ireland on Jan. 1, according to Rewire.News. It will also be free at that time because abortion is eligible for coverage under a long-running program called the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme. Importantly, though, you will only be able to terminate your pregnancy up to 12 weeks. But in the United States, for example, 91.1 percent of abortions occur at or before 13 weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On May 25, Ireland voted to overturn its 8th Amendment, which declared that a woman and her unborn fetus have an equal right to life. Because the amendment was part of the country's constitution, lawmakers were prohibited from changing an abortion ban that had been around since 1861, per the BBC.

The Irish Parliament finally passed a bill that legalized abortion earlier this month after voters repealed the ban. Reproductive rights activists say that the measure has many flaws, per Rewire.News, but believe it's an important step in the movement. Advocates vow to continue pushing for further reforms.

The #RepealThe8th campaign passed with two-thirds of the vote back in May, indicating sweeping support for abortion reform in the country. But it's still taken months for legislators to accomplish legalization. According to a Dec. 6 statement from the Abortion Rights Campaign, over 1,650 pregnant people have been forced to travel out of the country to terminate their pregnancies since the repeal vote, while hundreds have illegally imported safe abortion pills. "The cruel reality of the 8th Amendment continues," said Linda Kavanagh, the campaign's spokesperson.

But not for long. Pregnant people in Ireland will finally be able to legally terminate their pregnancies starting in January. Most people getting an abortion will be given a pill, according to Rewire.News, while some will have a surgical procedure. Abortions will generally only be allowed up to 12 weeks, but doctors may make exceptions if the continuation of the pregnancy could cause "serious harm to the health of" the mother. There's also three-day waiting period for everyone.

Abortions won't necessarily be available everywhere. Physicians still have a right to conscientious objection if they don't feel comfortable doing the procedure, per Rewire.News. But Ireland is creating a 24-hour hotline to provide information about doctors who will perform it — and conscientious objectors are required to send people to that hotline or to a willing physician.

"We know there are many pro-choice, patient-centred doctors who are ready and willing to give pregnant people the healthcare they need," Kavanagh said in the release. While activists have raised concerns about the wait times that could arise for this more limited group of physicians, there's also a lot of optimism around the imminent reform.

"While the debates continue, there are pregnant women and people all around this country quietly awaiting basic healthcare come January," Kavanagh said. The Abortion Rights Campaign added that "this is a momentous step towards achieving abortion rights in Ireland."</s>A referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment was held in May BRIAN LAWLESS/PA

A bill to legalise abortion was signed into law by Michael D Higgins yesterday.

It will allow for the introduction of abortion services from January and comes after the vote to repeal the Eighth Amendment in May.

A statement released by Áras an Uachtaráin last night said: “Having considered the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018, the president has signed the bill and it has accordingly become law.”

Simon Harris, the health minister, said he would sign a number of legal instruments today to enact the new law.

At up to nine weeks’ gestation, women will be able to have terminations through pills provided by their GP. At 9 to 12 weeks’ gestation abortions will take place in a hospital after a referral…</s>AbAbortion is now legal in Ireland.

The Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy Bill has been signed into law by President Michael D. Higgins.

More than 3 thousand doctors were issued with clinical guidelines on abortion services yesterday.

GPs will be able to provide terminations via medication for women who are under 9 weeks pregnant.

A woman will have three consultations with the doctor with a 3-day delay between the first and second meeting.</s>President Michael D Higgins has signed the legislation to allow for abortion services in Ireland into law.

It comes a week after the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018 completed its passage through the Dáil.

Health Minister Simon Harris said it's an 'historic day'.

It means the law now allows abortion services to be legally available in Ireland from January 1st.

The legislation will allow abortions for up to 12 weeks into a pregnancy, and in very limited circumstances - such as when there is a risk to the life of the pregnant woman - after that.

In May, the Irish people voted by 66.9% to 33.1% to repeal the Eighth Amendment and allow the Oireachtas to legislate for abortion services here.

Abortion services are not expected to be available in a full fashion throughout the country from January 1st, although are set to become more widely available as more medical professionals are trained.

GPs were yesterday issued with clinical guidelines for the services, with the Irish College of General Practitioners stressing that any doctor who does not wish to provide the service will not be asked to do so.</s>Abortion has officially become legal in the Republic of Ireland after president Michael D Higgins signed new legislation into law.

Terminations will be available across from the state from January 2019.

A bill to legalise abortions in Ireland passed through all its parliamentary stages earlier this month.

President Higgins signed the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018 on Thursday and it has accordingly become law.

The new laws will allow for unrestricted access to abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, subject to a cooling-off period and a requirement for medical consultation.

After 12 weeks, abortions will be permitted in exceptional circumstances.

The legislation will give effect to the result of a referendum in May.

The poll delivered landslide support for the repeal of a section of the state’s constitution – the Eight Amendment – that provided the legal basis for the country’s near blanket ban on abortion.

Last month Health Minister Simon Harris welcomed the passage of the bill through the houses of the Oireachtas parliament “as a genuinely historic moment”.</s>The Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) will start providing legal abortion services from January 7, it has confirmed.

The announcement comes a day after abortion officially became legal in the Republic of Ireland after President Michael D Higgins signed new legislation into law.

A bill to legalise abortions in Ireland passed through all its parliamentary stages earlier this month.

The IFPA said it has completed its preparations for the introduction of abortion services and will provide abortion care at its clinics in Dublin city centre and Tallaght on Monday January 7.

On Thursday, President Higgins signed the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill 2018.

The new laws will allow for unrestricted access to abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, subject to a cooling-off period and a requirement for medical consultation.

After 12 weeks, abortions will be permitted in exceptional circumstances.

The legislation will give effect to the result of a referendum in May.

The poll delivered landslide support for the repeal of a section of the state’s constitution – the Eighth Amendment – that provided the legal basis for the country’s near-blanket ban on abortion.

Niall Behan, IFPA chief executive, said: “Preparing our abortion service has been the focus of our work since the referendum.

“We’re ready and we’re dedicated to providing abortion care to women in Ireland for the first time.”

Mr Behan said the IFPA was proud to be at the “vanguard of the new services” after its long campaign for abortion rights.

“The IFPA has been advocating for full reproductive healthcare in Ireland for 50 years,” he added.

“The organisation was founded at a time when even basic contraception was illegal in this country.

“We’re now at a place where we can provide safe and legal abortion care for women and girls in Ireland and this is truly momentous. We’ve been working hard to ensure that we can deliver the best possible care.

“This is an entirely new service, developed in the extremely tight timeframe set by the Minister for Health (Simon Harris).

“The onus is on the Department of Health and the HSE to ensure that women who seek abortion care have timely access and don’t encounter any barriers.”

IFPA medical director, Dr Caitriona Henchion said: “Our abortion care service can only begin as planned if the medication and pregnancy tests are supplied on time, and the protocols for rhesus testing and the provision of anti-D are finalised.

“Our clinics will be providing early medical abortions up to nine weeks’ gestation.

“Patients who have their first appointment with us and are between nine and 12 weeks pregnant will need to be referred for hospital care.

“We cannot arrange those first appointments until we are certain those referral pathways are in place.”
Irish President Michael D. Higgins signs a bill making abortion legal in the Republic of Ireland for the first time.