Parents and TDs plead for amendment to current abortion law

Cross-party TDs are being encouraged to support an amendment to the law which will allow terminations to take place if a fatal foetal abnormality has been detected.

Independent TD Claire Daly will propose the amendment on Friday and TDs will be expected to vote on the issue next Tuesday.

According to the proposed amendment, two doctors will need to attest that an abnormality has been detected.

One father, who today attended a conference hosted by group Terminations for Medical Reasons, spoke of his distress upon learning that his son would not be able to survive outside the womb, said: "We were understandably shocked and decided we could not continue with the pregnancy knowing that we wouldn't give birth to a living baby and we made our way to the UK hospital."

Revealing details of his son's birth, he said: "Our son Joshua was born on the 12th of February and on the 13th of February we returned home without him. We weren't able to have a funeral. This is something that has hurt us a lot over the last fourteen years. Feeling stigmatised about what we did."

Speaking on the matter, Claire Daly said: "We have the families giving their heartbreaking, humane reasons about why it needs to be addressed and we've a considered legal opinion which says it is permissible within the confines of our Constitution."

Highlighting public backing, the TD goes on to say: "And obviously massive popular opinion in repeated opinion polls."

Speaking on the issue, one woman who was told six and a half months into her pregnancy that her unborn child would be born without a brain appealed to TDs, saying: "Please, please for women and families like me in the future make a change. Please do not force women to grow a baby who is just going to die. It is just heartbreaking."