Tánaiste: Varadkar made me aware of clinically dead pregnant woman on Sunday
The Tánaiste Joan Burton says she understands the parents of a clinically dead woman, who is being kept on life support because she is 17 weeks pregnant, will probably take court proceedings next week.
Ms Burton has told the Dáil that she became aware of the case last Sunday in a phone call from Health Minister Leo Varadkar.
She says it is up to the woman's family and her loved ones to decide how they would like their daughter to be treated.
The Tánaiste says the vast majority of Irish people hold a centre-ground opinion on cases like this.
She said: "Speaking as a mother, speaking as a woman, I think there is a huge amount of common ground in relation to this debate which is sometimes drowned out by the ultra-noises from both sides of what, at times, can be a very extreme debate.
"These issues are not easy."
