Zones prohibiting prayer and other forms of pro-life activity near centres administering abortion will come into effect next month [1]. Very few countries so far have national laws of this nature on freedom of protest grounds.
The new Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Act commencement order says that Thursday, October 17th [2], will be the day that the new arrangements will come into operation. The statutory instrument was laid before the Oireachtas in recent days.
Similar regulations exist in part of England and throughout Northern Ireland and have been used to arrest people engaged in silent prayer near abortion clinics.
In Ireland, Gardai told the HSE that legislation was not required [3].
Speaking in May after the passing of the legislation, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said the Act was about ensuring that people accessing abortion “feel safe and not be intimidated”. No evidence exists that women do feel intimidated going into GP surgeries or hospitals.
But in the Seanad debate on the Bill, Independent Senator Rónán Mullen 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”.