[2] The law allows for a termination: Under section 23, it is an offence punishable by a fine or imprisonment of up to 14 years to intentionally end the life of a foetus outside the provisions of the Act.
After the 2016 general election, a Citizen's Assembly was established by Oireachtas resolution and tasked with reporting on several issues, the first being "the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution".
The committee met from September to December 2017 and produced its own report, recommending the same constitutional amendment as the assembly but a slightly more liberal statutory regime.
A General Scheme of a Bill to Regulate Termination of Pregnancy was published by the Department of Health in March 2018, prior to the passage of the Thirty-sixth Amendment.
On 21 December 2018, the Minister for Health issued the statutory instruments specifying the act's commencement date,[10] and the regulations for certifications,[11] notifications,[12] and reviews of decisions.
[10] The first annual report on the Act's operation, covering the calendar year 2019, was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 30 June 2020 by the Minister for Health.