Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister for Health sought and received approval today to draft the referendum Bill to delete Article 40.3.3° from the Constitution and insert a new article enabling the Oireachtas to regulate abortion services in Ireland. The wording is the wording we gave at the press conference some weeks ago. The intention is to publish the Bill in the first week of March but we need to get some further legal advice on the precise wording. We are confident it is fine, but we need to get some further advice on it and the place in the Constitution where it should rest. We anticipate having the legislation ready in the first week of March. It is the Government's intention to hold the referendum before the end of May, notwithstanding some reports I have read to the contrary. We are on schedule in respect of the timeline we have set out. However, I cannot make any promise to the Deputy in this regard because I do not control this House or the other House and it will be in the hands of the Houses-----

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