Abortion for reasons of non-life-threatening disability should be explicitly legalised, according to Ruth Coppinger of the far-left Solidarity party. The current abortion regime already allows abortion for any reason for the first three months of pregnancy; for health reasons for the first six months of pregnancy; and for all nine months of pregnancy where a child is so disabled it is expected to die before or soon after birth. Speaking in the Dail yesterday, Coppinger cited the case of a woman pregnant with a child suffering a serious disability who was refused an abortion.  Ms Coppinger alleged that “conservative Catholic control of hospitals and a very narrow law with criminalisation are having a chilling effect and forcing such women to travel abroad”. She asked the Taoiseach why in Ireland is a “distinction made between fatal and severe abnormalities that is not made in other countries”. She also asked who decided what got onto a list of “fatal foetal abnormalities” and why it varied from hospital to hospital.

The Taoiseach said the Oireachtas decided to limit the law at aborting the disabled who were unlikely to live long after birth and the legislation would be reviewed after three years.

Ms Coppinger also called for a fully secular hospital system where there “isn’t a culture that sends people on their way” and one where, she said, the Catholic Church would not influence medical matters.

Countries such as Germany do not permit abortion on disability grounds, but they happen on a widespread basis anyway because the mother can claim a threat to her mental health.