Draft abortion agreement may be ready this week

The Coalition parties are hopeful of agreement on the wording of draft abortion legislation before Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, but sources said a deal was not certain.

There are still strong concerns in Fine Gael about including suicidal intent as grounds for abortion — even if a woman has to go through a rigorous process to determine such a risk.

This weekend will be crucial for the party’s TDs, who will gauge the views of their constituents and keep a close eye on Fianna Fáil’s ard fheis for signs that the party will vote against such legislation.