Publication of Oireachtas' arrangements for hearings on abortion legislation
The Oireachtas Health Committee has scheduled a series of hearings to scrutinise the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill, with a focus on various aspects of the legislation, including legal, health, and social implications. The hearings will take place from Friday to Tuesday.
Friday's hearings will concentrate on policy, medical issues, and obstetrics, while Monday's sessions will centre around psychiatry and other medical specialties. Tuesday's hearings will be dedicated to legal matters.
The hearings will feature testimonies and briefings from legal and medical experts, as well as other stakeholders. One notable group, Women Hurt, has been invited to meet with TDs and senators to discuss their concerns about the bill, particularly with regards to therapy confidentiality and the psychological welfare of women who regret having abortions.
Jerry Buttimer, the Committee chairperson, expressed gratitude to those who offered to come before the Committee, but were unable to accommodate every request. He also thanked those who made written statements.
In a separate private briefing organised by Fine Gael TD Billy Timmins, Women Hurt will brief Oireachtas members on their views regarding the bill, which will take place tomorrow, separate from the Oireachtas Health Committee hearings.
The Oireachtas Health Committee's hearings on the draft heads of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013 aim to provide a comprehensive examination of the bill from multiple perspectives, ensuring that members fully understand its effects on women and healthcare providers.
The hearings will take place from 9.30am to 7.45pm on Friday, and from 9.30am to 8.45pm on Monday and Tuesday. The detailed daily schedule for the hearings is yet to be fully outlined.
[2] - Approximately 60 professionals wrote to the Ministers of Health and Justice expressing their deep concerns about the legislation and its impact on counseling confidentiality.
- The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill will be scrutinized by the Oireachtas Health Committee, focusing on its implications for policy, medical issues, obstetrics, psychiatry, and other medical specialties.
- Testimonies and briefings from legal and medical experts, as well as other stakeholders, will be a part of the scheduled hearings.
- One group, Women Hurt, will discuss their concerns about the bill, particularly regarding therapy confidentiality and the psychological welfare of women who regret having abortions.
- The hearings aim to provide a comprehensive examination of the bill from multiple perspectives, ensuring that members fully understand its effects on women and healthcare providers.
- Besides the hearings, Women Hurt will also brief Oireachtas members on their views regarding the bill in a separate private briefing organized by Fine Gael TD Billy Timmins.
- Approximately 60 professionals have expressed their deep concerns about the legislation and its impact on counseling confidentiality in a letter to the Ministers of Health and Justice.
- The hearings will cover various aspects of health and wellness, including cardiovascular health, eye-health, mental-health, nutrition, respiratory-conditions, cancer, neurological-disorders, fitness-and-exercise, and general news, in relation to the legislation.
