Miss Y case detail for Cabinet

Health Minister Leo Varadkar was set to brief Cabinet colleagues today on the caesarian controversy involving a teenage immigrant that provoked outrage last month.

However, senior Government sources made it clear the discussion would be about the woman’s engagement with the HSE, and not the wider issues of abortion law.

“Whatever their positions, both parties have made it clear that there will be no changes to legislation, or other moves such as a referendum, before the next general election,” a senior source said.

Mr Varadkar said: “I will be giving Cabinet a progress report on the HSE review of the Miss Y case. Interviews with the people involved are still ongoing, so I expect to have a report later in the month.”

The Government ordered an inquiry into the case after it emerged the immigrant teenager was refused an abortion here despite being raped and certified suicidal.

The controversy led to calls from both pro-choice and anti-abortion lobbies to scrap the 2013 Protection Of Life During Pregnancy Act.

The case led to Tánaiste Joan Burton saying Labour supported lifting the constitutional ban on abortion, but she stressed her party and Fine Gael had only agreed to legislate for the X case, as they did in the 2013 Act, and no more.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny ruled out any legislative changes.