Politicians heard calls for making abortion even more easily available, including extending the current 12-week limit to allow abortions on request “up to viability”. The vast majority of abortions take place in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

The National Women’s Council (NWC) and the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA) suggested the changes when representatives appeared before the Oireachtas Health Committee yesterday.

The committee meeting came amid a separate ongoing review of Ireland’s abortion laws chaired by barrister Marie O’Shea with a report due to be delivered to Government later this year.

NWC’s director Orla O’Connor told the committee three areas need to be addressed in her view: the “restrictive legal framework” for abortions; poor national coverage; and an absence of “robust data collection”.

Ms O’Connor’s opening statement said the current law “acts as a gatekeeper creating a series of obstacles that prevent access to abortion, disproportionately affecting the most marginalised”.