Abortion poll legislation passes through Dail

Legislation permitting an abortion referendum passed its final stage in the Dáil today.

It was passed by 74 votes to 71. The 25th Amendment of the Constitution (Protection of Human Life in Pregnancy) Bill, 2001 Bill will now pass before the Seanad sometime next week.

The Government is expected to hold a referendum on the change to the Constitution sometime after February of next year.

If carried the change will forbid, in the Minister for Health Mr Martin’s words, "any intervention which could or would result in the death of the unborn child, other than where the mother's life is at risk from a medical condition, excluding a risk of suicide."

But Opposition parties say the Government is running scared, judged on its efforts to "steamroll" the legislation through the Dáil. They say the issues have not been adequately explored as evinced by the fact that only half of the 36 tabled amendments at the Committee stage were reached.

A Labour Party spokesman said it was the first constitutional amendment that had been unanimously opposed by the Opposition.

In the Dáil last night Labour TD Ms Liz McManus speculated whether the Bill had been rushed through because of a Bishops meeting in ten days which is due to make a statement on the matter. "Something is putting tremendous pressure on the Government to make it insist on guillotining the Bill," she claimed

However the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, said: "We have given more time, both in the House and in committee, to this constitutional amendment than any other previous constitutional amendment."