The planned abortion legislation must avoid placing so many barriers so as to make any provisions for termination of pregnancy unworkable, according to the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA).

Niall Behan, IFPA CEO, told irishhealth.com there was a need for whatever measures that are agreed to be practical and accessible for women requiring terminations in all circumstances where their life may be at risk.

He said the Council of Europe had said that whatever system was developed in Ireland most be of a practical nature.

In relation to the recent Halappanavar inquest, Mr Behan said the Association had stated constantly that making a distinction between a risk to the life and a risk to the health of a woman was not something that doctors did in everyday medical practice.

"Doctors deal with the health of their patients, and trying to build an artificial distinction between life and health in this context is really not practical."

He recognised that within the parameters of the X Case, the Government was planning to provide for situations where there was a real and substantial risk to the life, as opposed to the health, of the mother.

"However, what is needed is provision for a serious risk to the health of the mother, not just the life of the mother, to ensure that situations like the Savita Halappanavar case do not occur again."

Meanwhile junior Health Minister Alex White said yesterday said the abortion legislation that will eventually be introduced will be quite restrictive.

He said it would contain safeguards but not any kind of 'excessive obstacles' to the exercise of a woman of her constitutional rights.

It is expected that the heads of a bill on abortion will be brought before next Tuesday's Cabinet meeting.

There have been serious disagreements between the Coalition partners this week over the detail of the legislation, particularly in relation to the threat of suicide and termination.

There has been much confusion and apparent contradiction over the number of doctors that will be required, under the legislation, to assess suicide ideation and the need for an abortion.

The draft legislation reportedly provides for three consultants, including two psychiatrists, to assess the need for an abortion in a case of apparent suicide risk.

It also provides for three consultants, including two psychiatrists to review the initial decision by the other three doctors.

This is in some ways in line with the report of the recent review group, which provided options for the Government on abortion legislation in light of the 'X' and 'A, B and C' case rulings.

The Expert group suggested a maximum of three doctors to assess the need for a termination, and proposed that two psychiatrists would be involved in addition to an obstetrician in cases of suicide risk.

However, the Expert Group also proposed a review process, in which one option would be to have two or more doctors reviewing the case.

However, the report said the review process should be an appeal process where the initial assessment had refused a woman access to a termination, or to seek a final decision when the initial doctors are in dispute or unable to reach a diagnosis.

In the planned legislation, it is reported that the process would involve initially, three doctors trying to agree on the need for a termination insuicide risk cases, and then three further doctors involved in confirming or otherwise a termination decision.

It appears hat the second group of three doctors would review the initial termination decision that had been jointly agreed upon by the first three doctors and if appropriate, confirm this decision.

Helath Minister James Reilly earlier this week appeared to deny that as many as six doctors would be involved in assessing the need for an abortion under the planned new laws.

A number of medical experts have already dismissed the idea of having so many doctors assess the need for termination as unworkable.

However it is still far whfrom clear what provisions will end up in the draft heads of bill;when they are discussed by the Cabiner, prpbsbly next week.