THREE MOTIONS TABLED about abortion at today’s annual conference of the Irish Medical Organisation have been rejected by members.

Proposed by Dr Mary Favier, the motions called on the government to regulate and legislate for legal abortion within Ireland in certain and specific cases. All three were seconded by Dr Mark Murphy.

Following a debate this afternoon, doctors rejected the motion to support regulation for the provision of abortion services where there is a “real and substantial risk” to the life of the mother.

Members also defeated motions calling for legislation to allow access to legal terminations for women who become pregnant as a result of incest or rape and for women who are pregnant non-viable fetal anomalies.

The representative body is now debating various motions on mental health service provision.

Dr Seán Ó Domhnaill of the Life Institute described the rejection of the motions as “a serious blow to the government’s proposals” regarding legislating for abortion.

Abortion legislation should be ‘short, clear and not mention suicide’