Abortion issue dominates as Dáil returns

You can probably feel the excitement in the air, as today marks the return of the Dáil from the Christmas recess and the first sitting day of 2018.

Of course, most Fine Gael TDs returned to Leinster House yesterday for the party’s special meeting on abortion, which will dominate the political headlines for the coming months.

Our lead piece this morning and the associated story inside the paper relates many of the contributions at that event.

While many Fine Gael TDs are unsure about the Oireachtas committee’s proposals for the legalisation of abortion on request up to 12 weeks, there is little doubt they will back a referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment.

Micheál Martin to reveal view on abortion up to 12 weeks

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Abortion referendum: The big questions Cabinet must answer

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Catholics have evolved in their thinking about abortion

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Varadkar says accepting recommendations on Eighth a ‘strong option’

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TDs were watching the Taoiseach’s contribution to yesterday’s meeting closely. Though he has expressed anti-abortion views in the past, Varadkar has indicated his views have “evolved”, and he is widely expected to back both the repeal referendum and the 12-week proposal.

Neither would have got this far without his tacit backing, frankly. But he is being cautious about moving on abortion, conscious that many people in his party and beyond would have held – or still hold – anti-abortion views. Yesterday, he said following the committee’s recommendations would be a “strong option”. Then he suggested any departure from them would be unlikely.

So what happens now? The Dail is to debate the committee's report tomorrow and Thursday for five-and-a-half hours. After that, it will be up to Minister for Health Simon Harris to bring forward proposals for the referendum. That will happen probably at the end of this month, or the beginning of February. The process towards a referendum is described here.

Meanwhile, our updated tracker of TDs' voting intentions on the referendum is here.

You’d be forgiven for assuming abortion is the only thing on the political agenda for the coming term.

However, there’s also the small matter of Brexit, about which negotiations will soon enter the second, more difficult phase.

Then there’s the North, where the two governments are committed to making one last push to bring Sinn Fein and the DUP together to reform the executive.

There’s also housing and health and a dozen other pressing domestic policy areas, jostling for attention.

And there’s the small matter of maintaining in working order the Fine Gael-Fianna Fail relationship that underpins the Government.

Remember, after the near-death experience of the confidence-and-supply agreement before Christmas, the parties are all striving to be ready for a general election. Just in case, you understand. So, a busy term ahead.