US politicians urge Kenny to halt bid to legalise abortion

A group of American politicians has written to the Taoiseach urging him to halt any attempt to legalise abortion here and to ensure that Ireland remains “staunchly pro-life”.

In the letter, signed by 16 Republican and one Democrat member of the US Congress, the politicians said they were concerned that the expert group, appointed by Health Minister James Reilly to present a report on abortion, included some who are pro-choice.

The minister established the group last January in the wake of a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that Ireland must give legislative effect to the 1992 Supreme Court judgment in the X Case which ruled that a woman was entitled to an abortion if her life was in danger as a result of her pregnancy.