President Michael D. Higgins signs abortion bill into law

Michael D. Higgins

The Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 comes six months after the referendum on the repeal of the Eighth Amendment and a year after its central provisions were backed by the Oireachtas committee on the Eighth Amendment.

However, people in Ireland will not be able to access abortion until Health Minister Simon Harris signs statutory instruments giving effect to the bill.

Human rights group Amnesty International welcomed the legislation but warned that it still has “significant flaws”.

Sorcha Tunney, campaign co-ordinator of It’s Time campaign for Amnesty International Ireland, said: “We look forward to the full implementation of the Act but will be looking to engage with the Department of Health in its three-year review.

“We will continue our campaigning to make sure the law is human rights compliant, and that pregnant people are not prevented from accessing the healthcare they need.”