Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister David Ford indicated that the country may be moving towards decriminalizing abortion in the case of a fatal fetal abnormality or a sexual crime. After several women with a diagnosis of a severe fetal abnormality came forward last year with stories of being forced to travel for a termination, Ford said he “believes there is a question whether, in certain difficult but closely-defined cases, the law’s line has been drawn in the right place,” the Belfast Telegraph reported.

Currently, the law only allows abortion when a woman’s life is at risk or there is a risk of permanent damage to her physical or mental health. According to the BBC, every year 1,000 Northern Irish women travel to England for a termination at a cost of approximately £900, whereas women in Scotland and England are covered by the 1967 Abortion Act, which entitles them to a cost-free abortion from the National Health Service.

Audrey Simpson, director of the Family Planning Association, spoke about cases of fatal fetal abnormality to the Irish Independent: “We hear from women on an almost weekly basis who find themselves in a similar situation, as well as those who have become pregnant as a result of rape and incest. It is time that the Northern Ireland Assembly looked at these cases and introduced appropriate legislation.” The Department of Justice has posted a request for public comment on the two proposed changes, with a deadline of January 2015.

When Northern Ireland’s first private abortion clinic opened in 2012, Bishop Noel Treanor of the Diocese of Down and Connor commented, “The opening of this facility further undermines the sanctity and dignity of human life in our society,” according to the Catholic News Agency.

An Amnesty International poll conducted in September indicated that there is significant public support for legalizing abortion in the following circumstances: rape (64 percent), fatal fetal abnormality (60 percent) and incest (68 percent), Northern Ireland’s UTV news reported.