The Irish Family Planning Association will tell the United Nations today that the Citizens’ Assembly is insufficient to make our abortion laws compliant with human rights standards.

In the statement, the IFPA criticises the Government’s rejection of 16 of the 17 recommendations by fellow UN member states to reform Irish abortion laws.

The Association says international human rights law requires the State to provide access to safe and legal abortion services.

People before Profit TD Bríd Smith has welcomed the move by the IFPA: “The debate can be had in the course of a referendum,

“I just think what the IFPA are saying is really important because the citizens assembly is a way of obvescating and pushing the thing to one side.

“The real citizen’s assembly is the electorate dail and the electorate dail should deal with this as the UN has instructed them.

“Get the finger out and deal with the lack of women’s rights in this country.”