Crisis Pregnancy Agency Letter In Todays Irish Independent and Irish Examiner

Letter to the Irish Independent Tuesday May 15th.
HELP FOR THE GIRL IN CRISIS
As the Government body that was set up to address the issue of crisis pregnancy in Ireland, the Crisis Pregnancy Agency welcomes the judgement of Mr Justice Liam McKechnie, where he firmly and unequivocally held that the most crucial aspect of the Miss D case was to establish what course of action was in the best interests of the welfare of the girl.

The Crisis Pregnancy Agency, one of whose aims is to reduce the number of women who opt for abortion, believes that it is imperative for women experiencing crisis pregnancy to be referred to high quality, state-funded, free, non-judgmental crisis pregnancy counselling services.

Good quality crisis pregnancy counselling can reduce the sense of panic for a woman in a time of crisis in her life and can provide her with services and supports that will be of help to her. A woman who experiences a crisis pregnancy has an immediate need for psychological support and medical attention. She may also have longer-term needs for practical information on the supports available to her.

For a woman who decides to travel outside the state for an abortion is it important for her to know that on her return to Ireland she can access a range of state funded post abortion services including post termination counselling and post termination medical check-ups. These services are funded by the Crisis Pregnancy Agency and are free to all women who avail of them.

KATHARINE BULBULIA, CRISIS PREGNANCY AGENCY, CAPEL STREET D1

Letter in the Irish Examiner Tuesday May 15th 2007
D CASE A WELCOME JUDGEMENT
AS the Government body set up to address the issue, the Crisis Pregnancy Agency (CPA) welcomes the judgement of Mr Justice Liam McKechnie where he unequivocally held that the most crucial aspect of the ‘D’ case was to establish what course of action was in the best interests of the welfare of the girl.

The CPA, one of whose aims is to reduce the number of women who opt for abortion, believes it is imperative for women experiencing crisis pregnancy to be referred to high-quality, State-funded, free, non-judgmental crisis pregnancy counselling services. Good quality crisis pregnancy counselling can reduce the sense of panic for a woman in a time of crisis in her life and can provide her with services and supports that will be of help to her.

A woman who experiences a crisis pregnancy has an immediate need for psychological support and medical attention. She may also have longer-term needs for practical information on the supports available to her.

For a woman who decides to travel outside the State for an abortion, it is important for her to know that on her return to Ireland she can access a range of State-funded post-abortion services, including post-termination counselling and medical check-ups. These services are funded by the CPA and are free to all women who avail of them.

The agency has committed to developing best practice guidelines for the counselling and medical professions which come into contact with women and their partners in cases where a foetal abnormality has been diagnosed. These guidelines are particularly necessary in cases where abortion is being considered and will help professionals working in the area to support women and their partners going through this traumatic experience. This can be a very lonely time and access to high-quality support and medical advice is one of the means that care can be provided.

Katharine Bulbulia, Chairperson, Crisis Pregnancy Agency, 89-94 Capel Street, Dublin 1