Minister for Health James Reilly has said the Dáil should sit late into the summer if necessary to pass legislation on abortion.

Speaking after opening new Medtronic offices in his constituency in Swords yesterday, Dr Reilly said there was a determination on the part of the Government to deal with the issue before the summer recess.

“If the Dáil has to sit extra days and longer hours, so be it, but everybody will have the opportunity to speak to their concerns on this very sensitive issue. There is a real sense in Government that we should not delay with this issue before the summer and the house rises.” Oireachtas health committee chairman Jerry Buttimer, who has just finished three days of hearings on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013, said it was a “big ask” to have the legislation in place by the end of July and it was important that the Minister came back with the legislation itself.

'Determined'
Dr Reilly said he had been in regular contact with Mr Buttimer. "I think what Jerry is saying very clearly that there is a big job of work to be done and nobody is underestimating it. I'm determined to have it in before the summer and I'm going to do everything I possibly can to make it happen."

Separately, Minister of State at the Department of Finance Brian Hayes has described some anti-abortion campaigners as "literally mad".

Mr Hayes described as “appalling” many of the attacks by anti-abortion campaigners on his party colleagues “from elements of the pro-life gang”, but said intimidation would not work.

In an interview with this week's Hot Press , he maintained there were elements on the anti-abortion side who saw the debate as "some kind of last cultural war. It's nothing to do with abortion. They see this as some kind of way in which the country has gone and they will take one final stand against it."

He told the magazine: “I’m more than happy that this issue would be dominated by women, and not by men.”

Fine Gael has raised the issue of a flyer that was sent to TD Catherine Byrne, which juxtaposed her face with pictures of dismembered foetuses. It includes the expression: "This is what Fine Gael wants to legalise. Say no to abortion", along with Ms Byrne's number.

Clarity
Separately yesterday it was claimed the Government's draft legislation may not provide clarity on a woman's existing constitutional right to abortion. According to a coalition of 11 pro-choice groups, unless the Bill is amended, it will fail the requirements of the 2010 European Court of Human Rights judgment against Ireland in relation to abortion.

At a press conference yesterday the coalition said it was disappointed not to have been invited to appear at the recent Oireachtas hearings.

Ailbhe Smyth of Action on X said the coalition was demanding a range of changes to the proposed legislation. These included changes to the provision for criminalisation of women and their medical advisers and changes to the provision where medical conscientious objectors may opt out of medical procedures but remain involved at the assessment stage.