Arlene Foster: Brandon Lewis should ‘back off’ in Northern Ireland abortion row

Earlier, Mr Lewis defended the UK Government’s introduction of new powers compelling Stormont to implement abortion laws.

Mrs Foster said the DUP’s approach is that “both lives matter”.

“Whilst we have spent this past year trying to save lives from Covid-19, we should also try and save lives in the womb and that’s our clear desire and wish,” she told an Executive press conference in Dungannon.

Mrs Foster said abortions have happened in Northern Ireland over the last year.

“It’s quite wrong to say abortions haven’t been happening here, and of course we deeply regret that to be the case,” she said.

“This is a hugely complex, controversial, legally challenging issue for the Executive but let us be very clear, it is for the Executive, it is not for Brandon Lewis and I think not only did my colleagues make that clear today in the House of Commons but a number of Brandon Lewis’s colleagues made that clear to him today.

“The reason why he brought it to the House in the first place was there was no devolution at the time, there is devolution now and he should back off.”

Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill takes a different view on abortion to Mrs Foster.

She said Westminster should not have to legislate over something within Stormont’s competence.

“The Executive needs to take a decision on this issue, and my very clear view is that one year post the legislation being brought into effect, women are being failed access to modern, compassionate healthcare,” she said.

“I believe that it’s been a failure that those services haven’t been commissioned.

“The Health Minister has stated that services are provided across each of the trust areas, however it’s not done from a central point from the Department of Health and that needs to change.”

Ms O’Neill said her Sinn Fein colleague Deirdre Hargey attempted to raise the issue at the meeting of the Executive but it did not get on to the agenda.

She added: “But I expect that after the discussion today, the Health Minister will have to bring back new proposals to the Executive and the Executive needs to take a decision on this issue, and it should be to commission services.”