The chairwoman of the Oireachtas committee on the Eighth Amendment has asked two pro-life members who threatened to resign not to leave the group amid claims it is biased and “a propaganda exercise in favour of abortion”.

Three Irish women who had to travel for an abortion after being told their babies would not survive outside the womb are taking their cases to the UN.

Abortion is expected to be back in the spotlight in the coming months, when the Un will hear a case on behalf of women carrying babies with no chance of survival outside the womb.

A federal judge ordered the Food and Drug Administration to make morning-after emergency contraception pills available without a prescription to all girls of reproductive age.