Report on abortion - Time has come to act

Tomorrow the Government is due to publish the report of the expert group that it commissioned to examine the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights on the absence of procedures to establish when an Irish woman has a right to have an abortion.

For over 20 years successive governments have shirked their duty to tackle this issue effectively.

The current Government has used the need to wait for the latest report as its excuse for not acting. Last week it refused to publish the report, but over the weekend it was leaked to at least two newspapers.

Such selective leaking undermines the political system. Moreover, it is an affront to members of the Dáil, as well as the other elements of the media.

The report emphasises that while the State is obliged to regulate the constitutional right of the unborn, it must ensure that this right is not an obstacle “to any woman who is legitimately entitled to seek a termination on lawful grounds”. In relation to the suicide issue, which was a central factor in the X Case, the report suggests termination should be considered whether the risk to the woman is on the grounds of physical or mental health.

The time for talking is long over — the Government must act.