“Today the Government took the next step on the road to a Referendum on the 8th Amendment. The Cabinet gave formal approval for the draft General Scheme of the Bill, which will form the basis for the referendum on Article 40.3.3 of the Constitution to be held in late May this year.
"I now plan to finalise the Referendum Bill, so that the 36th Amendment to the Constitution Bill may be published in early March. The exact date of the Referendum will be set following a debate and vote in the Dáil and Seanad, but I am confident that our timeline can be met.
"For the first time since 1983 the Irish people are to have their say on the substantive issue of the 8th Amendment and whether it should be removed from our Constitution. This follows recommendations from the Citizens Assembly and the cross-party Oireachtas committee, as well as a Government decision that a referendum be held.
"That referendum will propose that Article 40.3.3 is deleted in its entirety and a clause inserted that makes it clear that the Oireachtas may legislate to regulate termination of pregnancy.
"It is important to remember that the Referendum must be passed, and the 8th Amendment repealed, if anything is to change for Irish women. We need to change the status quo, for this to happen we must repeal the 8th. It is important that we are clear that if the people of Ireland do not repeal article 40.3.3 we cannot legislate for fatal foetal abnormality, rape, incest or women’s health.
"My Department is currently drafting legislation which would follow a repeal of the amendment. This legislation will be based on the recommendations made by the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment. I intend to publish a policy paper at the beginning of March which will outline what that legislation will include.
"We have some very important – and busy - weeks ahead. I believe that as people reflect on the current situation in Ireland, where women are forced abroad to have a termination, where women are purchasing abortion pills illegally online and where women in extremely difficult situations are left isolated and neglected, that the Irish people will vote to repeal the 8th amendment."