Cabinet clear way for vote; Coveney ‘cannot support unrestricted access to abortion’

Tánaiste Simon Coveney has told cabinet colleagues he cannot support unrestricted access to abortion up to 12 weeks pregnancy if the Eighth Amendment is removed, widening a ministerial split on the issue.

The Foreign Affairs Minister told yesterday’s lengthy special cabinet meeting that while he is broadly in favour of liberalising Ireland’s abortion laws he feels the proposed post-referendum 12- week law goes too far — a view he repeated to the Irish Examiner last night.

Noting he is “untied with my cabinet colleagues”, Mr Coveney said there is an ongoing disagreement within Cabinet over “the content of the legislation” that would replace the Eighth Amendment.