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HEALTH MINISTER SIMON Harris said he hopes legislation on abortion following the Yes vote in the referendum could pass through the Dáíl as early as September.
This afternoon, Harris held a meeting with the opposition spokespeople for health which he described as “very constructive”.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said over the weekend that laws giving effect to Friday’s referendum could be enacted before the end of the year, but campaigners had called for a shorter timeline.
The Together for Yes campaign urged the government to pass legislation allowing for the terminations of pregnancies before the summer break.
A spokesperson for Harris’s department said this evening: “The Minister updated the deputies on his meeting with the Attorney General and his officials. He also sought cross-party agreement to pass second stage of the new legislation by the summer recess.
“This would facilitate the Health Committee potentially taking the Bill through committee stage during the recess, most likely early September, with the hope that the Dail could pass report stage by the end of September.”
Harris agreed to meet the opposition spokespeople on health again in two weeks time and he will continue his meetings with stakeholders tomorrow and Friday.
Ireland voted by 66.4% to 33.6% on Friday to remove the Eighth Amendment from the Constitution and replace it with the 36th Amendment, directing the Oireachtas to legislate for the termination of pregnancy.
With reporting by Christina Finn
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Yes.. They are all concerned now because Ash is something that you can make money out of… I didn’t hear any uproar when a disease hit all the chestnut trees in Europe and Ireland last year??
I would like to have a rigorous check on the disease that is commonly known as FF.
Well on the road to rehabillitation.
FF?! Hahahah
Is this tree fungus a personal threat to gangly o’Cuiv. Always thought there was a bit of a wood spirit vibe about him.
All he called for was the implementation of Coveneys orders. I think Coveney is more than capable of ensuring that and does not need such puerile encouragement . Headline seeking.
“The results of the survey are expected in the next couple of weeks”
Boat has sailed on this one
England is projecting 80% loss and hoping that some variants of ash might survive
tragic news
FF really are trying hard, bless. Since when did they care about the environment?
Do they make brown envelopes from ash ??
Was it Minister Coveney, who, earlier today said he’d be “ruthless in protecting our ash trees”?
Trees/ Ruthless/,rootless…??
FF must surely be destined for the ashes. Very clever Eamon, a seasoned political hand speaks. Pity the opinion polls wouldn’t consign this bogus bunch away. It only makes sense to ‘regulate’ the importation of ash and all tree species. Holland sent some infected batches here and begs the big Q as to how they were permitted out of the country to here. Let not commerce infect our trees here. Eamon Ó Cuiv and the FF’ers could learn a few things about regulation.
I think think to government need to worry about this, let whoever they sold the Irish forests to worry about it.
have your say