Nearly one in two voters disagree with the Government's approach to the abortion issue, according to our latest readers' poll.

The Government last month decided that it would introduce new legislation plus regulations to clarify the legal position on abortion where the life of the mother is at risk, in the wake of the 1992 X case ruling, the 2010 European Court of Human Rights judgement and the recent Expert Group report.

The Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children will today begin three days of hearings on the abortion issue.

The Committee will hear contributions from doctors, legal experts, representatives of churches and religious groups and from advocacy groups.

The Committee says it is intended that the hearings will help to determine what issues need to be addressed in the legislation and regulations.

In our poll, we asked readers whether they thought the Government was taking the right approach on the abortion issue.

Forty-eight per cent said no, 28% said yes while 24% were unsure.

View the poll results and comments, and results of previous polls here.