Nine out of 10 people believe abortion should be made legal in cases of fatal fetal abnormality or rape, according to to our latest readers' poll.

Over 600 readers took part in the poll.

The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act, which was recently passed into law, allows for terminations in cases where there is deemed to be a real and substantial threat to the life of the mother.

However, it does not prpovide for abortion in cases of fetal abnormalities where the fetus is unlikely to survive or in cases of pregnancy as reuslt of rape or incest.

Such a change in legislation would be likely to require a constitutional amendment, and the Government is not expected to address this issue for the foreseeable future.

The Irish College of General Practitioners, at its recent AGM, voted narrowly in favour of the legalisation of abortion in cases of non-viable fetal abnormalities.

The GP meeting, however, voted against legalising abortion in cases of pregnancy following rape or incest.

We asked readers whether they believed abortion should be made legal in Ireland in cases of fatal fetal abnormality or rape.

Ninety-one per cent said yes, it should be legalised for these circumstances, while only seven per cent said no, and two per cent were unsure.

View the poll results and comments, as well as results of previous polls, here

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