Safe Access Zones with T4CE
“We call on Stephen Donnelly, Minister for Health and TD for Wicklow, to publish a timeline for when we can expect safe access zone legislation to be enacted.”
What?
It has been 3 years since the then Minister for Health, Simon Harris, committed to safe access zone legislation to stop the intimidating practice of protests and vigils outside medical premises. We believe such protests have the singular intention to shame vulnerable people seeking terminal of pregnancy healthcare and to intimidate staff.
Quote from North Wicklow Together for Choice and Equality:
Sarah Murphy, spokesperson for North Wicklow Together for Choice and Equality, highlighted the strong feelings felt by so many upon reading recent reporting, “Simply, we’ve just had enough. We have maternity restrictions with no risk assessments to justify the restrictions, domestic violence calls to Gardai going unanswered, a review of the abortion legislation shrouded in mystery, a shambolic & re-traumatising mother & baby home report, a €800+ million new National Maternity Hospital that may be impeded by Catholic ethos and gifted to a private entity, and now a u-turn on safe access zone legislation that has been promised since 2018 and is vital to the operation of women’s healthcare in Ireland. We are beyond frustrated and frankly, Minister Donnelly’s assertion that he is now committed to enacting safe access zone legislation is meaningless without a timeline for the enactment of legislation. We need action, not more promises.”
While the Department of Health believe that there have been a “limited number” of protests outside maternity hospitals and GP surgeries since the introduction of termination of pregnancy services (TOP), we know that this is simply not true. Preliminary findings from research by Maynooth University, has found that 40% of healthcare workers have reported protests outside of their workplaces and 89% are in favour of safe access zone legislation. 40% is not a “limited number”.
Women are having to travel significant journeys, often via limited public transport, to access the scarce number of GPs (and only 10 of the 19 maternity hospital units) providing TOP services in Ireland today. We know that many GPs are waiting for safe access zone legislation to be enacted before they offer TOP healthcare because they do not want their staff or their patients intimidated just to access their premises.
Sarah Murphy of North Wicklow Together for Choice and Equality, “Unfortunately, I was not surprised by the reported U-turn on the Department of Health’s commitment to this much needed legislation as when I spoke to Minister Donnelly during the last election, he was adamant that new legislation was not needed and that current public order offences were sufficient.”
Mairead Enright, Legal Academic, has written that the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 is not an effective, “Section 7, which regulates display of offensive material has already proven ineffective to address display of graphic abortion imagery outside maternity hospitals. Other provisions under the Act are targeted at violent or provocative behaviour, and so are unlikely to catch more restrained activities – for example, silent or polite protest – which may nonetheless be hurtful, obstructive and intimidating to patients and to staff.”
While Minister Donnelly quickly issued a statement to clarify that he was in fact now committed to enacting legislation, we have to wonder is this new commitment because of the public backlash and it being pointed out to him by his Green Party colleagues that safe access zone legislation is in the Programme for Government. His statement gave no insight into the progress of the legislation nor a timeline for its enactment. It was vague and offered no concrete detail.
Lourda Scott, Wicklow Green Party Councellor and Cathaoirleach of Greystones Municipal District, summarised how many are feeling today, “The events over the last few days surrounding the legislation for safe access zones are deeply concerning. I welcome Minister Donnelly’s statement that he is committed to progressing this. However, women have been listening to vague promises for long enough. This legislation was named as a priority by the previous Minister for Health, Simon Harris in 2018 and we are still waiting. Protests are happening right now. People attending medical appointments are being intimidated, staff are being intimidated, people that have lost babies are being traumatised. Enough is enough. I ask Minister Donnelly to provide a clear timeframe for the enactment of this legislation without any more delays.”
Jennifer Whitmore, Social Democrats TD for Wicklow is equally concerned, “It is absolutely unforgivable for the Minister to row back on this important issue. No person should be subjected to intimidation whilst accessing medical care, and the Government needs to keep their promise to legislate for exclusion zones. This is yet another example of how this Minister and this Government is failing womens health needs, and follows hot on the heels of the failure of the Government to allow partners in maternity hospitals, the ongoing debacle of the National Maternity Hospital and the treatment of those involved in the Mother and Baby Homes. At what stage will this Government deliver on their promises?"
North Wicklow Together for Choice and Equality is gladdened by the outpouring of support for safe access zones by public representatives of all parties and none in Wicklow and join them to demand an end to ambiguous promises. The time is now for concrete commitments that detail the current status of the legislation and a deadline for its enactment. We have waited long enough and the women of Wicklow, and Ireland, deserve better. Patients and staff should be protected from having to run through a gauntlet of intimidation just to visit their doctor or get to their work.
If people wish to protest the legalisation of termination of pregnancy, do so outside TD offices or government buildings. The point of safe access zones is not that some viewpoints must be silenced, but that some methods of expressing those viewpoints cannot be permitted.
We call on Minister Donnelly to not delay any longer and provide a timeline for when this legislation will be enacted and pregnant people and medical staff will finally be protected from intimidation.
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North Wicklow Together for Choice and Equality is a group of volunteers using the momentum of the North Wicklow Together for Yes group fight for equality and human rights in the North Wicklow area.
To speak to a spokesperson for North Wicklow Together for Choice and Equality please contact Sarah Murphy, 0872032348, elizabeth.sarah.murphy@gmail.com