Seanad passes Bill to prevent anti-abortion protests outside health facilities

The Seanad has passed legislation to ensure safe access zones outside clinics to prevent harassment or intimidation of pregnant women seeking a termination.

The Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Bill has previously been passed by the Dáil, and will now go to the President to be considered for signature.

The Bill will prohibit anti-abortion protests within 100 metres of any facility that could be providing access to terminations. This will allow for exclusion zones around all hospitals, GP practices and other facilities such as the Dublin Well Woman Centre and Irish Family Planning Association services.

The legislation was first debated in the Dáil in July last year and passed in November before moving to the Seanad.

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Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said on the passage of the Bill that “today is a significant and memorable day” in which the Government delivered on an important promise, to establish safe access zones for women and service providers right across the country”.

He said “safe access zones will now become a reality in our country. Once this Bill is signed into law by the President, it will protect service users and providers. It will allow women in Ireland to access legal health services without fear of intimidation or harassment.

Mr Donnelly said “the reality is that our country has a very dark history when it comes to women’s healthcare and women’s reproductive rights”. But this legislation is one important step in “making sure that Ireland is one of the most advanced countries anywhere in the world when it comes to modern, progressive, safe and expert women’s health services”.

Northern Ireland Green Party Senator Malachai O’Hara said the passage of the legislation meant that on “the entire island of Ireland we will now end the campaign of harassment and intimidation against women and pregnant people who wish to seek reproductive and sexual healthcare services”.

Independent Senator Rónán Mullen, however, described the Bill as a “sad piece of legislation” and added the Minister had nothing to be proud of here.

He said Mr Donnelly “has got an easy win for himself by caving in to an activist group and by attacking the peaceful expression of dissent on abortion”.

Mr Mullen added that “there is nothing safe about safe access zones. There is nothing safe about what happens to the unborn child in an abortion situation.”

And he called on President Michael D Higgins to consult the Council of State “and to see about testing this Bill in an Article 26 reference”.

He said if that did not happen “I encourage peaceful protesters to challenge this legislation. People should continue to witness respectfully and not to be intimidated by a Government that wants to silence people”.

[ Should the mandatory three-day wait for abortion be lifted? Dr Mary Favier and Eilís Mulroy debate ]

Sinn Féin Senator Lynn Boylan it was a good day for women’s healthcare. “Women should be able to access healthcare without intimidation and without fear of threat. It is their business what they do with their bodies.”

Independent Senator Sharon Keogan said she was a “little disappointed” and would like to see Mr Donnelly “being a Minister for young pregnant girls and women who find themselves pregnant, to encourage them to have their children, and to put down policies that will make their lives better”.

In a statement Pro Life Campaign spokeswoman Eilís Mulroy described the Bill as “draconian” and said it “will do nothing to help women in unplanned pregnancies. Instead, it seeks to smear pro-life citizens and introduces sweeping measures which undermine everyone’s fundamental rights.”

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