Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly has appointed Barrister, Marie O’Shea as the independent Chair of the review of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018.
Ms. O’Shea has been practising at the Bar since 2004. She is also an accredited mediator and project manager.
She has a strong interest in health systems research and has conducted many research projects at the UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems. She authored a report on “The Legal Aspects of the Health Service Executive’s Home Birth Service – A Review of Legislation and Case Law”, and a review of the governance relationships between the State and Section 38 organisations, commissioned by the Voluntary Healthcare Forum.
Ms O’Shea has lectured at the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, University College Dublin on the law on protection of life during pregnancy; parental and children’s rights; consent; negligence and data protection.
She was the chairperson of the communications committee of the Family Lawyers Association of Ireland, and served as a Director and Company Secretary of the charity, Peata, whose objects are to inform and promote the benefits of human interactions with pets and whose main activity is the provision of dog visiting services to people in nursing homes, hospices, colleges and businesses.
