Michelle O'Neill: Abortion debate 'first step' to change

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O'Neill has described a crisis abortion debate in Westminster as a "first step'' on the road to abortion reform in Northern Ireland.

Mrs O'Neill said she wanted repeal of the relevant sections of the 1861 Offences against the Person Act, to ensure abortion was no longer treated as a criminal offence.

She called for the UK and Irish governments to then come together under a peace process mechanism called the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference, to discuss how to change the laws on terminations in Northern Ireland.

Sinn Fein supports abortion in extreme cases, like foetal abnormality.

However, the republican party is due to consider whether to change to support unrestricted abortion up to 12 weeks at its ard fheis later this month.

"I welcome the fact that MPs are talking about decriminalising this issue because women have been criminalised here for far too long,'' said Mrs O'Neill.

"Women have been criminalised when they find themselves in very, very difficult circumstances, so we welcome that debate but clearly we need to see legislative change here in the north.''

Mrs O'Neill said she would prefer to be enacting changes at Stormont but that was impossible due to the current powersharing impasse - a logjam she blamed on the DUP.

She added: "I for one want to be a legislator that brings about that change, but because of the DUP's denial of rights, and the fact we don't have an institution, because of the DUP's denial of rights what we need to see is the inter-governmental conference to meet and for them to deal with the rights-based issues, including the issue of women's healthcare."

• abortion
• mps
• westminster