The Secretary of State is set to bring forward new regulations to Westminster over the next week which will allow him to direct the NI Exec to make abortion services available to women in Northern Ireland. This comes on the back of the Assembly voting to restrict abortion services when they have already failed to implement services already commissioned.

Gemma Weir, Workers’ Party North Belfast said:

“Women have already been forced to travel to access abortion services in the middle of a global pandemic due to the fact these services have not been commissioned by the Minister for Health. We welcome the proposed action by the Secretary of State to ensure that these services are provided for women and girls when needed”.

She continued:

“Of course, the proposed action has met with resistance from the DUP who are crying that health is a devolved issue, once again happy to use devolution when it suits their ends. The fact is they have failed to provide services for women because of their own agenda totally disregarding the trauma and stress this has caused many women in the region”.

She concluded:

“The NI Executive have no right to refuse women access to these services. They have a public obligation to ensure that commissioned services are accessible. Robin Swann, as Minster for Health, must comply to the rules and not be brow beaten by the DUP. Sinn Féin are in no position to take the moral high ground on this issue either having abstained from the vote to once again restrict women’s access to abortion services. It would appear that Sinn Féin continue to portray themselves as all things to all people showing different faces both sides of the border yet calling for a United Ireland.

“The Workers’ Party call on the Minister for Health to fulfil his duties and ensure that abortion services are available to women in NI immediately”.