Govt committed to abortion legislation before summer break
The Labour Party leader has said that the Government intends to keep to its deadline of having legislation on abortion ready by the summer recess.
However Eamon Gilmore said it was important that the content of that legislation was right.
Reports suggest there are divisions between the coalition parties on how to deal with the threat to suicide as grounds for abortion, which could delay the draft legislation on the issue.
Weekend newspapers suggested up to six doctors would be required to assess if a threat of suicide represented a real risk to the woman's life.
Speaking in Luxembourg this morning, Mr Gilmore said the Government's objective is to provide certainty for women and medical practitioners.
"We have a timetable, which is to have this legislation dealt with by the summer recess," Mr Gilmore said.
Meanwhile the Master of the National Maternity Hospital has said that allowing suicide to be used as a reason for a medical terminations in Ireland will not open the floodgates to abortion.
New draft legislation may require up to six doctors to assess if a threat of suicide represents a real risk to the woman's life.
But responding to reports of a coalition rift over the issue, Dr Rhona Mahony said there is no need for that many doctors.
"You will have very likely have at least two obstetricians," she said.
"When it comes to suicide you will need at least one, if not two, expert psychiatrists.
"You are going to get a reasonable opinion from all of those doctors."
