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27th Mar 2018

Simon Harris outlines legislation the government would propose should the Eighth Amendment be repealed

Alan Loughnane

Simon Harris children's hospital

He was speaking earlier today…

The Minister for Health Simon Harris has said the Cabinet has approved the “general scheme” of the legislation on abortion that would be brought forward if the referendum on the Eighth Amendment was passed.

The date for the referendum is expected to be set this week.

Speaking on RTÉ, Minster Harris said:

“It proposes to make terminations lawful where an appropriate medical practitioner has certified that pregnancy has not exceeded 12 weeks.

“72 hours must elapse between the certification and the termination being carried out.

“Beyond the first trimester, terminations will only be available in exceptional cicumstances on the grounds of serious harm to the health or life of the woman , in emergency cases or in cases of fatal foetal abnormality.

“In all other circumstances abortion will remain unlawful.

“In cases where there is a risk to the life or to serious harm of the health of a woman, termination would not be lawful beyond viability.

“The viability of the foetus would be assessed and agreed by two doctors, one of whom must be an obstatriction or gynaecologist.

“If viability is established and the pregnancy is ended on health grounds, then it will be done through early delivery with a full medical team on hand.”

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