Ireland likely to legalise abortion if mother's life medically in danger

Ireland is likely to make abortion legal in very limited circumstances with most of the parliamentarians in favour of the groundbreaking reform.

A pregnancy bill is likely to be passed either late on Wednesday or in the early hours of Thursday morning in Ireland parliament.

According to the guardian, the vote will allow for abortions when a mother's life is medically in danger and, if a woman is in danger of killing herself if her pregnancy continues.

In the latter case a woman asking for termination on grounds of potential suicide will be examined by three doctors, the report said.

The introduction of some legal abortions is also a major act of defiance against the power of the Irish Catholic church.

Rightwing Catholic groups have attacked the legislation, claiming it will create a slippery slope towards outright abortion in Ireland.

The development in Ireland comes after the death of Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar in a Galway hospital last year.

Savita died after being refused an abortion in Ireland; she would have had a higher chance of surviving if she had been offered a termination.