Cabinet split emerges over unease at 12-week abortion access

Allowing unrestricted access to abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy may be “a step too far” and goes “further than many would have anticipated”, said Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

Mr Varadkar raised the concern despite ministers being warned at Cabinet that they will lose their political cover if they deviate from the recommendations by the Oireachtas committee on the Eighth Amendment or try to “unpick” its findings.

During a two-hour Cabinet meeting yesterday, ministers were given an overview of the committee report published last month and the likely timeline between now and the expected abortion referendum in late May or early June.