Oireachtas group to discuss AG’s advice on abortion bill

The Oireachtas health committee will discuss whether it can publish the Attorney General’s legal advice on the defeated fatal foetal abnormalities abortion bill — and if the Constitution prevents all terminations in these cases — on Thursday.

The cross-party group’s chair, Fine Gael TD Jerry Buttimer, confirmed that the debate will happen after a formal request by Labour senator Ivana Bacik at the weekend.

While Mr Buttimer is limited in what he can say on the matter before it is discussed, speaking on RTÉ radio yesterday, Trinity law lecturer Ms Bacik said the advice needs to be discussed publicly “in a clear way” and that the committee showed that it could do this in 2013 after Savita Halappanavar’s death.