The Minister for Health says the lives of Irish women are being put at risk because of Ireland's laws on terminations. The Minister was speaking in the Dáil on a private members bill tabled by Clare Daly.

Leo Varadkar says the current law has a "chilling effect" on doctors who have to make decisions based on law and not medicine.

He's ruled out any referendum on the issue for now - saying the government doesn't have the mandate to hold one. He stated that although he thinks the law needs improving, he first wants agreement on what should be allowed.

“Speaking as Minister for Health, and also as a medical doctor, and knowing now all that I do now, it is my considered view that the eighth amendment is too restrictive,” he said.

“While it protects the right to life of the mother, it has no regard for her long-term health. If a stroke, heart attack, epileptic seizure happens, perhaps resulting in permanent disability as a result, then that is acceptable under our laws. I don’t think that’s right.”

He continued: “The eighth amendment continues to exert a chilling effect on doctors. Difficult decisions that should be made by women and their doctors, a couple or the next-of-kin where there is no capacity, and on the basis of best clinical practice, are now made on foot of legal advice. That isn’t how it should be.”

The Pro Life Campaign criticized Minister Varadkar's comments stating there is nothing in the legislation to prevent two psychiatrists who view abortion as harmless from signing off on terminations, secure in the knowledge they don't have to meet any evidence based test.

The group also says what is chilling about the current abortion debate is the way in which the unborn child throughout the nine months of pregnancy has been written out of the discussion.