The text of the Green Paper on Abortion was decided by a Cabinet Committee, chaired by the Minister for Health and Children, Brian Cowen. The committee was established to oversee the work of an interdepartmental working group of officials.
The other members of the committee were the Minister for Public Enterprise, Mary O'Rourke; the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, John O'Donoghue; the Attorney General, David Byrne, up to July 1999, when he was replaced by Michael McDowell having been nominated EU Commissioner; and the Minister of State at Foreign Affairs, Liz O'Donnell.
The working group comprised officials from the Departments of Health and Children, Foreign Affairs, Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Office of the Attorney General.