Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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434. To ask the Minister for Health if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27679/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act was signed into law by the President on 30th July 2013 and was commenced on 1st January 2014.

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 provides for existing rights, i.e. within the Constitutional provisions and the Supreme Court judgment in the X case, and it does not confer any new substantive rights to a termination of pregnancy.