Abortion Bill passes Committee stage

The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill has passed its Committee stage tonight.

It will now be referred back to the Dáil for the report and final stages next week.

The 14-year jail term to be imposed on any woman seeking an abortion not covered by the new laws will remain after attempts to remove it were defeated.

Earlier, an attempt to remove the controversial suicide clause from the abortion legislation also failed.

In a vote at Committee stage, the section of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill was backed by eight votes to two.

Meanwhile, Terence Flanagan, Peter Mathews, Billy Timmins and Brian Walsh, the four Fine Gael TDs who voted against the Bill, have automatically been expelled from the parliamentary party.