Two major Catholic hospitals have been added to the designated list of centres where terminations can be carried out, under the newly-published Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill.

Under the original heads of Bill published in April, 16 HSE-run general hospitals with maternity units plus the three Dublin maternity hospitals were listed as designated termination centres.

However, additional general hospitals which do not have maternity units have now been added to the list.

These include the Mater and St Vincent's in Dublin, both Catholic-run hospitals.

The Catholic Bishops have already expressed concern about terminations being carried out under the new law in institutions with a Catholic ethos.

According to the Department of Health, where a woman with physical ill health  may require intensive or critical care services to be available to allow her baby to be safely delivered, then a small number of large hospitals are enabled by this legislation as appropriate institutions.

"The inclusion of certain teaching hospitals is in recognition of the reality of the complexity of those cases who may present – critically ill pregnant women with illnesses that may require treatment by neurosurgeons, cardiologists, oncologists etc, in order to treat and save the lives of both patients," the Department says.

During the recent Oireachtas Health Committee sessions, some obstetricians expressed concern about the limited nature of intensive care facilities in Dublin maternity hospitals and called for the range of centres where seriously ill pregnant women could be treated to be expanded to include major hospitals with a full range of specialist facilities.

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