Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)

Irish abortion law denies women the most fundamental right to live in dignity and to self-determination and the opportunity to exercise these rights without discrimination in that having an abortion is criminalised in almost all circumstances. Elsewhere in Europe the approach adopted is consistent with the standard of proportionality in key human rights which requires that laws and policies applied to regulate access to abortion services cannot excessively interfere with a woman's rights to life, health, privacy, freedom from cruel and inhumane treatment and non-discrimination.

The Government has been in office for nearly one year. I would have thought that the Minister would have considered this matter to be a top priority, one that needed to be dealt with quickly. Is he telling me that the expert group is still in the process of being set up? When it is set up, will he publish the names of its members, outline the reasons for their selection and the terms of reference? It would be interesting to have that information because it goes without saying the group which will be selected will have considerable influence on the final decision to be made.

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