Issue of suicide will be dealt with, says Kenny

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has confirmed the legislation and regulation the Government intends to introduce in relation to abortion will deal with the issue of suicide.

Mr Kenny said the matter was to do with the “clarification of the Constitution and therefore the law by the Supreme Court in the X case.

“Therefore it does include the question of suicide arising from the X case . . . where there is a threat to the health as distinct from the life of the mother.”

He stressed: “I have no intention of this being seen as some sort of abortion on demand or abortion replacing contraception.”

Responding to Fianna Fáil spokesman on constitutional reform Seán Ó Fearghaíl, who raised the question in the Dáil, the Taoiseach said he wanted “everybody in the House to be able to contribute to this to put in place legal certainty and regulation in an area that is unregulated”.

Mr Ó Fearghaíl raised the issue following the statement by the Department of Health that the Government proposed to use legislation and regulation.

It said “the drafting of legislation, supported by regulations, will be within the parameters of article 40.3.3 of the Constitution as interpreted by the Supreme Court in the X case.

“It was also agreed to make appropriate amendments to the criminal law in this area.”

Hearings

The Taoiseach said the Government had decided to follow option D, as recommended in the report of the expert group, which considered the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights judgment in the A, B and C case.

He told the Dáil three days of information hearings would be held by the Oireachtas Committee on Health in the week beginning January 7th. Mr Kenny wanted to “put in place legal certainty and regulation in an area that is unregulated”.