It will be well into 2020 before women can access pregnancy termination services in Northern Ireland.
Abortion and same-sex marriage were both legalised in the North at midnight last night.
The changes were introduced from Westminster in the absence of a sitting executive at Stormont.
Legislation allowing for same-sex marriage will be finalised by early January – with the first union expected around Valentines’ Day.
New regulations allowing for abortion are expected to be complete by March.
***
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau looks set to win a second term in power after close-fought election.
His Liberal party is set to win the most seats – but faces negotiations with opposition parties in a bid to form a minority Government.
Mr Trudeau’s campaign was weakened after old photos of him wearing black-face make-up were published.
US President Donald Trump has congratulated him on a “wonderful and hard fought victory.”
***
The Taoiseach is to brief cabinet on Brexit this morning as Boris Johnson tries to fast-track the deal through the House of Commons.
The British government has set out an ambitious plan to pass the Brexit withdrawal agreement in just three days.
It is 115 pages long with another 125 pages of accompanying notes – and Boris Johnson wants it passed on Thursday evening.
Opposition MPs have warned they are being asked to pass one of the most important pieces of legislation in modern UK history without proper consideration.
***
The Taoiseach is to make a formal state apology to the women and families impacted by the CervicalCheck controversy today.
Leo Varadkar pledged he would make the apology after meeting members of a patient support group.
Around an hour and a half of Dáil time has been set aside this afternoon to hear statements on the controversy.
Leo Varadkar is expected to say the state should have informed women they were given incorrect all-clear results and will accept the findings of independent reports into the issue.
***
The average price of a three-bed house near a Luas or Dart station in Dublin is €439,000.
That is €38,000 higher than the cost of a similar property elsewhere in the capital.
A new report from Daft.ie finds that homes near Dart stations have the highest average cost, while homes near commuter rail stations have the lowest.
The Dart line is the most expensive on average, followed by the Green Line, the Red Line and then commuter rail line.
