Ireland to legalise some abortions Dublin will introduce legislation to allow abortions in Irish hospitals when the mother's life is at risk, a highly controversial move that faces stiff opposition from religious groups. Ireland's cabinet took the decision on Tuesday after several weeks of public pressure after the death in October of a pregnant woman in Galway, who was refused repeated requests for an abortion while she was suffering a miscarriage. She died of septicaemia three days after requesting a termination. The Irish government has decided to introduce a combination of legislation and regulations to remove legal uncertainty over exactly when doctors could perform an abortion if a woman's life was at risk. Legislation will be drafted in the new year and debated by the Irish parliament's health committee before it will be voted on in the Dáil. Enda Kenny, Ireland's prime minister, has ruled out giving a free vote on the legislation to members of the government. Mr Kenny told the FT in an interview before the cabinet decision was taken that he was confident parliament would support the legislation despite some disquiet among his own party's backbenchers. This government has been underestimated seriously by a lot of people in terms of our capacity and courage to deal with a lot of problems. This is one we will deal with as well," he said. He said the government would introduce restrictions and regulations to ensure that the inclusion of suicide as a risk to the life of the mother that could justify a termination did not lead to a system of "abortion on demand." "[Suicide] is an issue that is very subjective," said Mr Kenny. In my view [it] requires far more requirements and conditions made by a panel of qualified psychiatrists, obstetricians and administrative GPs. So it is a case really of introducing restrictions and regulation that provide clarification here. "I have no intention and nor has the government of introducing a regime of abortion on demand," he said. Several members of Mr Kenny's Fine Gael party have called for a free vote and several have threatened to vote against any law that allows terminations. In 2010, the European Court of Human Rights ruled Ireland was in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights for failing to introduce clear rules to enable women to have abortions when their life is at risk during pregnancy. Doctors say the failure of successive governments to introduce legislation on abortion has left them in legal limbo, facing life imprisonment if they are found guilty of carrying out illegal abortions. The new legislation will make appropriate amendments to criminal law regarding abortion. James Reilly, Ireland's health minister, said he understood most people had personal views on the issue. "However, the government is committed to ensuring that the safety of pregnant women in Ireland is maintained and strengthened," he said. "We must fulfil our duty of care towards them." he said. Abortion is one of the most deeply divisive issues in Ireland, which has held five bitterly fought referendums on the subject since 1983. It is one of only two EU countries - the other is Malta - where women cannot have an abortion even when their lives are endangered by a pregnancy, suicide or medical conditions. The effective ban on abortion in Ireland remains in place despite a ruling by the Irish Supreme Court in 1992 that abortion was legal under limited circumstances. This ruling was given in the so called "X" case, in which the Irish authorities imposed an injunction preventing a 14-year-old girl who was pregnant after being raped from travelling abroad for an abortion. The supreme court overturned the travel ban and ruled that abortion was legal in Ireland when there was a "real and substantial risk" to a woman's life. However, 20 years later legislators - who are either afraid of sparking a row with the anti-abortion lobby or hold their own staunch views on the subject - have failed to pass the legislation required to implement the ruling. Savita Halappanavar, a 31-year-old Indian dentist, died of septicaemia three days after requesting an abortion at Galway university hospital in October. She was 17 weeks pregnant when she began suffering a miscarriage. Medical staff refused to perform an abortion until a foetal heartbeat could not be heard. Her husband alleges that she was told by medical staff this was because "Ireland was a Catholic country."