A former Master of the Coombe hospital has called for the repeal of the pro-life amendment and its replacement with a law that would permit abortion-on-demand in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy when about 85pc of abortions take place. 

Writing in the Irish Times, Prof Chris Fitzpatrick  said he would vote for the repeal of the 8th Amendment.  “After that I would support the liberalisation of legislation to include (a) a serious threat to a woman’s health (b) fatal foetal abnormalities (c) pregnancies arising from rape and incest and (d) crisis pregnancies in the first trimester.”