It has emerged that guidelines on the new abortion legislation have been circulated to a number of health professionals.

The law allows for a termination where there is a substantial threat to the life of the mother. It came into force last January, while the guidelines governing the legislation are expected to be published in the next day or two.

The procedures have been drawn up to guide clinicians, GPs, midwives, psychiatrists and obstetricians on how to act when there is a real threat to a pregnant woman's life.

The guidelines go into detail on when a woman is pregnant and suicidal.

The Irish Times reports that when there is suicidal intent, a termination is legal where three doctors have examined the woman and certified that there is a real and substantial risk to her life, that the risk is one that can only be averted by a pregnancy termination, and that the medical practitioners have had regard to the need to preserve unborn human life where practicable.

One of the doctors must be an obstetrician-gynaecologist and two must be psychiatrists.

Journalist with the Irish Times, Kitty Holland, has seen the guidelines. She outlined them to Newstalk Breakfast.