Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has criticised the Taoiseach’s refusal to provide a timeline for when the government will act on the recommendations of a 2023 review into the operation of Ireland’s abortion laws.
Deputy Cairns made her comments after raising the harrowing case of Denise Whitmore during Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil today.
She said:
“Denise and her husband Mark were forced to travel to the UK for a termination after a scan revealed that her baby’s brain had not developed, and the condition was fatal. This was a harrowing journey that no couple should have to make after arriving at such a heartbreaking decision.
“Because doctors in Ireland could not be absolutely certain that baby Éadha would die within 28 days – as required by current legislation – they had no choice but to travel to the UK for the procedure, during which Denise presented with serious complications that necessitated an emergency C-section.
“As if this wasn’t traumatic enough, the couple then had to navigate the legalities of bringing their baby back home to Ireland. This was only made possible thanks to a kind worker at the ferry terminal who allowed them to travel.
“But Denise’s trauma didn’t end there. Despite having major surgery in the UK, there was zero follow up care in Ireland. Shockingly, even when she presented to a bereavement midwife to get counselling, she was told it wasn’t available.
“Due to shortcomings in our abortion laws, every year around 240 women have to travel to the UK for a termination, each one with their own tragic story.
“This is despite the completion of a review into the operation of our abortion laws by barrister Marie O’Shea in 2023. This expert report, commissioned by the government, recommended providing clarity in the provision of care in cases of foetal abnormality; the end of the criminalisation of doctors; and the scrapping of the three-day mandatory waiting period.
“When I raised this with the Taoiseach today, he said the issue would be reviewed. However, we already have the O’Shea review, which has been gathering dust for three years now.
“How long is this government going to continue to ignore women like Denise Whitmore and continue to make them suffer?
“We need a firm timeline from the government on when it will act on its own expert’s report – not a vague commitment from the Taoiseach about another review.”