Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Government decided today to choose option D as set out by the expert group, which is legislation and regulation. The process will involve information hearings by the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children on either 7, 8 and 9 January or 8, 9 and 10 January. After that, the heads of a Bill will be prepared and sent to the Oireachtas committee for discussion. When the Oireachtas committee concludes its discussions and it returns here, the details of the regulations that would be required will be published simultaneously with the legislation so that everybody will have the fullest information about all the issues involved.

This matter is to deal with the clarification of the Constitution and therefore the law by the Supreme Court in the X case. It includes the question of suicide arising from the X case in cases where there is a threat to the life, as distinct from the health, of the mother. That is why I want everybody in the House to be able to contribute to this and put in place legal certainty and regulation in an area that is unregulated. There is no intention for this to be seen as some sort of abortion on demand or abortion replacing contraception.

The Deputy asked when the legislation will be published. It will be prepared after the information hearings of the committee dealing with health. The heads will be discussed by the Oireachtas committee. The legislation will only be published in conjunction with the regulations which will become effective once the Bill is put through the House. I want everybody to be able to contribute to the process in a mature, sensitive and as comprehensive a fashion as is possible.

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