Irish Cabinet to meet later to sign off the next steps in abortion reform

By Thomas Hornall, Press Association

The Irish Cabinet will meet later to sign off the next steps in abortion reform.

Health Minister Simon Harris is due to bring a memo outlining plans to fellow ministers, with laws expected to be passed by the end of the year.

Ireland voted resoundingly to reform its strict abortion laws in Friday's referendum by a two-to-one margin.

The question on the ballot asked citizens to either retain or repeal the Eighth Amendment of the state's constitution, which prohibits terminations unless a mother's life is in danger.

The leader of the Opposition, Micheal Martin, has said his No-supporting Fianna Fail parliamentarians will not block the change.

Those who campaigned against the measure have said they respect the democratic decision.

The law will be subject to debate inside and outside the Dail parliament and is likely to see renewed emphasis on crisis pregnancy prevention and care.

Ministers have promised to allow terminations within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy subject to medical advice and a cooling-off period, and between 12 and 24 weeks in exceptional circumstances.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the results represented "the culmination of a quiet revolution" taking place in Ireland for the past 10 to 20 years.

On Monday, pro-choice activists turned their eyes to Northern Ireland, where abortion is still largely banned, vowing to hit it like a "seismic wave".