New law will not be passed for 7 months

LEO Varadkar has approved a special summer sitting of the Daíl to facilitate the passing of Ireland’s new abortion laws – but warned it will be the New Year before the legislation is given full effect.

‘It’s important that we act with haste, but not with so much haste that we bring through bad legislation,’ he warned yesterday.

During Leader’s Questions, the Taoiseach agreed with a suggestion from Fianna Fáil leader Michael Martin for the Daíl term to be extended ‘to allow this matter alone to be legislated for, and to get to second stage before the summer recess’.

But he told the Daíl that in spite of the huge mandate given to Government as a result of the vote in favour of repeal, there remained much work ahead.

‘It’s still our anticipation that it will be the end of the year, first of January 2019, before we have fully given effect to the will of the people, even with the best intentions,’ he said.

Health Minister Simon Harris brought a memo to Cabinet to begin drafting the detailed legislation as a priority.

He told reporters three tasks must be done before the new law is put in place: passing legislation, regulating the medicines involved and agreeing medical guidelines.

Meanwhile, the Taoiseach has said his ‘initial impression’ was that women from the North will be able to cross the border to access abortion services in the Republic.

He added: ‘People from Northern Ireland already come to our hospitals. I imagine it will be treated as a normal part of our health service in the normal way.’