The Irish Health Ministry on Friday Jan 13th announced the appointment of the promised “expert group” on abortion. When the coalition government was formed last year it announced as part of its programme for government that it would set up an expert group before the end of November 2011 to evaluate how it should respond to 2010 ruling on abortion from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the A,B and C case.
The newly formed 14 member group (including chairman Mr. Justice Mr Sean Ryan) which includes medical, legal, psychiatric and nursing nominees and which, significantly includes some prominently pro-abortion names, have been instructed to report back to Government within 6 months on the options open to Ireland in order to comply with the ECtHR decision in the A,B and C case. The report of this expert group will be critical in deciding whether or not abortion legislation is introduced in Ireland but the final decision rests with the government.
The newly formed 14 member group (including chairman Mr. Justice Mr Sean Ryan) which includes medical, legal, psychiatric and nursing nominees and which, significantly includes some prominently pro-abortion names, have been instructed to report back to Government within 6 months on the options open to Ireland in order to comply with the ECtHR decision in the A,B and C case. The report of this expert group will be critical in deciding whether or not abortion legislation is introduced in Ireland but the final decision rests with the government.
The text of the statement which can be found on this link is as follows;
As required, Ireland submitted an Action Report to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 13th January 2012 in relation to the A,B, and C- v Ireland judgment of the European Court of Human Rights. In line with Government commitments the Action Report conveys that an Expert Group has been established to examine the A, B and C v Ireland judgment and to report back to Government within six months with options on how to implement the judgment of the European Courts.The Expert Group will be chaired by Justice Mr Sean Ryan and consist of the following 13 members:
Dr Peter Boylan, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
Dr Mary Holohan, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
Dr Imelda Ryan, Psychiatrist,
Dr Ailish Ni Riain, General Practitioner
Dr Mark Walsh, General Practitioner
Ms Christine O’Rourke, Office of the Attorney General
Ms Mary O’Toole, Senior Counsel
Ms Joanelle O’Cleirigh, Solicitor
Ms Denise Kirwin, Solicitor
Dr. Deirdre Madden, Medical Council
Dr Maura Pidgeon, An Bord Altranais
Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health
Mr Bernard Carey, Assistant Secretary, Department of Health
