What happens next in abortion debate?

AS part of the next step in the process, the Government will make a decision in principle next month to hold a referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment.

Ministers will also decide to produce Heads of a Bill to indicate what legislation would come about if and when the constitutional provision is deleted.

This would be a Bill in line with the committee’s central recommendation of unrestricted abortion up to 12 weeks, and/or with provision for terminations in the case of rape, incest and fatal foetal abnormalities.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is holding a meeting of his Fine Gael parliamentary party on January 15 at which he will seek to rally the troops. The Dáil returns the next day, and priority will be given to drafting and passing a Bill to amend the Constitution in both Houses to allow for the referendum.

The time needed for debate, especially in a case of a free vote across much of the Dáil, will impact on the Taoiseach’s preference for a May consultation of the people.

Only when the Bill is passed can a Referendum Commission be established – and previous bodies have called for a lead-in time of up to 16 weeks in order to prepare the ground.

Such a timeframe would suggest that May is an unlikely date for a referendum, unless it is at the very end of the month. June would be a more likely date for the vote to be held.