Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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536. To ask the Minister for Health if he is aware of the Amnesty International report on the criminalisation of abortion here (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23310/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I am aware of this report and have been considering its findings.

As the Deputy is aware article 40.3.3 of the Constitution states: 'The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.'

The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act was signed into law by the President on 30 July 2013 and it was commenced on 1 January 2014. The Act received very careful consideration by the Houses of the Oireachtas and the Joint Oireachtas Committee for Health and Children, including three days of public hearings. The main purpose of the Act is to restate the general prohibition on abortion in Ireland while regulating access to lawful termination of pregnancy in accordance with the X case and the judgment of the European Court of Human rights in the A, B and C v Ireland case. The Act also creates procedures which apply to the lawful termination of pregnancy. Its purpose is to confer procedural rights on a woman who believes she has a life-threatening condition, so that she can have certainty as to whether she requires this treatment or not.

A referendum would be required to amend the Constitution so that terminations in cases of rape, incest, serious risks to the health of the mother, or fatal foetal abnormality would be lawful.