Updated 14:50

The Minister for Health has warned doctors that they cannot refuse to help women seeking an abortion.

Simon Harris was speaking ahead of an extraordinary general meeting of the Irish College of General Practitioners focused on the concerns of “some members” over how abortion services will be introduced next year.

The organisation has said it has “been clear from the beginning that it favours an opt-in service” for GPs and insisted that “no GP who does not wish to provide a termination of pregnancy service should be required to do so.”

Speaking to Newstalk’s On the Record this morning, Minister Harris said GPs are entitled to the right of 'conscientious objection' but said they must refer patients on to their colleagues who are willing to carry out the procedure.

“The law on abortion is changing; the law on conscientious objection is not changing,” he said.

“If you are saying to me that a woman who goes to her GP in crisis; looking for help and looking for a service that is legally available in our country and that that woman should be shown the door or given the cold shoulder that is not conscientious objection.

“Conscientious objection is that you don’t have to involved in a procedure.”

Helpline

He said doctors will be required to provide the necessary information and said a helpline will also be set up to to women who find themselves in crisis.

“No doctor, no nurse, no midwife is obligated to provide this if they conscientiously object but I just can’t see a situation where somebody in crisis – perhaps even a rape victim - would sit in front of a doctor and say, ‘I need help’ and the doctor would say, ‘there is the door.’

“That is not what I know of doctors in this country.

“But we have done things to further help because I don’t want women finding themselves in those awkward situations either.

“So we are establishing a 24-7 helpline that will be a medically staffed helpline.”

Conscientious objection

The Irish College of General Practitioners said today’s meeting has been scheduled to consult with members and enable debate.

It said it called the gathering after hundreds of members signed a petition voicing their concerns – which include those who do not wish to provide the service because they hold a conscientious objection to abortion and those who are concerned over the additional workload.

The ICGP has warned that one quarter of its members do not wish to provide terminations – and do not want to refer women on to one of their colleagues.

Referral

The organisation believes the 24-hour helpline would alleviate the need for them to do so.

The organisation has pledged to provide its support to any doctor that wish to provide the service as well as training for those who do.

Minister Harris aims to have abortion services in place by January.