Troubling piece in the Examiner this morning on how:

Gardaí played down repeated warnings from the HSE that a lack of safe access zones was stopping GPs from signing up to provide abortion services, new documents reveal.

In fact, Garda representatives claimed that introducing laws to ensure those accessing termination of pregnancy services were not intimidated outside healthcare facilities could "add fuel to the fire".

It had initially been promised that safe access zones would be introduced in parallel with the rollout of the abortion services in January 2019, but the legislation has yet to be enacted.

Difficult to disagree with the following:

Together for Safety co-convener Yvie Murphy called on the department and the Minister for Health to bring forward legislation "at the earliest opportunity". 

"It has been shown time and time again that anti-choice protests and activities are having a negative effect and impact on not only people trying to access healthcare but also on healthcare workers and potential service providers. We know that the general public is supportive of safe access zone legislation. We have been waiting for this since 2018 — we've waited long enough," she said.

Having seen manifestations of this activity outside maternity hospitals - and a complete lack of concern on the part of those holding them for those who are patients there for terminations, miscarriages or pregnancies (and having had experience directly of miscarriage) the bare minimum necessary is to allow access unimpeded for those who require it to hospitals and GPs.