Cork’s main maternity hospital has not received any complaints about pro-life activities near-by, including vigils, despite an activist group saying the activities showed the need for ‘safe zones’ outside centres that carry out abortions. The Government has promised to impose these exclusion zones.

A spokesperson for Cork University Maternity Hospital told the Examiner that “to date, CUMH has not received any complaints from patients regarding the protests.” He also explained that alleged protests are very “infrequent” and “typically consist of between two and four [people]”, take place outside the gates of the hospital, but access through the gates has never been blocked.

The Government has previously committed to bringing in legislation that would create “exclusion-zones” in the vicinity of facilities that provide or administer abortions. Within these zones it would be a criminal offence to manifest any visible pro-life presence.