Only eight Fine Gael TDs who responded to a Sunday Times survey said they are opposed to further liberalising Ireland’s abortion laws.
The Sunday Times surveyed the party’s 69 TDs of whom 48 responded.
According to the newspaper, “Thirty-one of the respondents said they wanted to widen access to abortion. Eight were opposed to any further liberalisation of abortion laws, seven said they were undecided and two did not want to comment.”
Health Minister Leo Varadkar and Children’s Minister James Reilly are both on the record as wanting to widen the grounds for abortion and two more Fine Gael cabinet ministers told The Sunday Times they want the same thing.
The majority of TDs contacted said they believe an abortion referendum will take place in the lifetime of the next Dail.
The Sunday Times also contacted Fianna Fail TDs. Thirteen out of the 21 responded and eight said they didn’t want the grounds for abortion widened. Two said they did and three were undecided.
