'No harm' that abortion debate ran to 5am - Kenny

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has rejected criticisms over the late scheduling of debate on amendments for the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill.

Speaking to RTÉ News in Cork, Mr Kenny said it was "no harm" that the Dáil's discussion of amendments ran into 5am this morning.

He said the debate will continue today and into tomorrow if necessary.

Reacting to criticism from the Opposition over the approach to amendments to the bill, he said that there were 21 years of inactivity on this issue by members of the Opposition.

He said the main issue of suicide had been dealt with last night and he hoped the issue could conclude in the Dáil today.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has described as "lamentable" the Government's handling of last night's debate.

Speaking during Leaders' Questions, Mr Martin said it was not normal to sit until 5am and that it reflected very badly on parliament.

He claimed the internal difficulties in Fine Gael over the issue had dictated the schedule.

He also accused Chief Whip Paul Kehoe of not giving any notice of the late sitting.

Mr Martin said there had been intense pressure on Government deputies throughout the day that had not been pretty to see, but he told ministers they should not extend that type of intimidation to members of other parties.

Responding, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin insisted late night sittings were nothing new in the Dáil.

Mr Howlin said the intention was to give discussions on a sensitive issue the maximum time for discussion.

The minister also defended the whip system, insisting that parties normally acted as a unit.

Government wins two Dáil votes on abortion law

The Government easily won the first two Dáil votes on amendments.

The first was on Amendment 8, which effectively called for the deletion of the suicide clause.

The second vote was on Amendment 10, which deals with fatal foetal abnormalities.

Michael McNamara, a Labour TD from Co Clare, voted against the Government on Amendment 10, but Labour whip Emmet Stagg has said the vote was a genuine mistake.

While the vote cannot be changed on the Dáil records, it appears Mr McNamara will not face repercussions.

Minister of State Lucinda Creighton indicated during the debate that she could not support the legislation, but she has not as yet voted against the Government.

The Taoiseach said it seemed likely that the Government would lose Ms Creighton's support, but said the bill has not yet concluded and he would not make any comment until it did.

The other Fine Gael TDs whose votes had been in doubt, John O'Mahony, Michelle Mulherin and John Paul Phelan, all indicated they would be voting with the Government.

Abortion legislation debate as it happened

The debate, which had originally been due to end at 10pm yesterday, was pushed to midnight and then adjourned at 5am.

It is expected to resume at 6pm.

Only 11 of the 165 proposed amendments have been disposed of.

Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald said the debate was an excellent one with serious contributions made across the house.

She said as the night developed it was clear the debate needed to be given more time.

Ms Fitzgerald said she regrets the amount of focus given to how people will vote on the bill because it takes away from the centre of the legislation which she says is saving women's lives.

Minister for Tourism and Transport Leo Varadkar has said that if he were the president, he would refer the bill to the Supreme Court.

Mr Varadkar said he thought it would be the right thing to do as it was inevitable the legislation would be legally challenged once it passes into law.

British health department issues abortion figures

Meanwhile, new figures show that 11 women travelled from Ireland to Britain every day for an abortion last year.

The UK Department of Health said almost 4,000 women gave an Irish address at clinics in England or Wales in 2012.

The termination rate has dropped for the 11th year in a row to one in every 250 women aged between 15 and 44, from 6,673 in 2001 to 3,982 last year.

Separately, speaking on Raidió na Gaeltachta this morning, consultant psychiatrist Dr Siobhán Barry said that she envisages that women from European countries and further afield may travel to Ireland in future in order to procure abortions at a later stage than would be possible in their own countries.

Dr Barry expressed reservations about the proposed legislation, saying that the bill allowed for intervention to deliver infants at a late stage of pregnancy, on flimsy grounds.

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