CARE said an offer to foot the bill for ferry and plane journeys across the Irish Sea amounted to the Government “riding roughshod” over the rule of law in Northern Ireland.

Chief Executive, Nola Leach told Premier: “What we ought to be doing is providing much more care and support for a woman who is facing a pregnancy and is in turmoil about it, not just throwing… it’s short-sighted.”

Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities, Justine Greening said the move meant Northern Irish women would receive treatment in England that was “comparable” with that of English women.

But Nola Leach from CARE said: “The government should not overstretch its reach – it does not have a mandate to intervene in Northern Ireland; abortion is a devolved issue and should be decided by the Northern Ireland Assembly.”

Since June this year, all women in Northern Ireland have been entitled to undergo an abortion in England at no cost, regardless of their income.

Speaking on Monday, Ms Greening stated that her announcement did not affect the Government’s position on the abortion laws in Northern Ireland.

She said: “My original statement was clear this does not change the position in relation to the provision of abortions in Northern Ireland, which is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive and the Northern Ireland Assembly.

“That remains the case. Our proposals do not include the provision of any services…

Democratic Unionist, Jim Shannon (pictured below) responded to calls by campaigners for a relaxation of legislation, insisting any change must warrant the support of voters.

The MP for Strangford told Premier the majority of people in Northern Ireland support current laws – which prohibit a termination, even on the grounds of rape, incest or fatal foetal abnormality.

He told Premier: “I’m more of a mind that, if we’re going to make changes, those changes be comprehensive changes which take in the opinion of the citizens of Northern Ireland and also their elected representatives; we’ve got to do that in a very careful way.”

Representing the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC), which initiated the proceedings, Nathalie Lievan QC told a seven-judge panel that existing laws subject women to “inhuman and degrading” treatment.

During the three-day hearing, the NIHRC will argue that abortion laws in Northern Ireland – which hasn’t adopted the 1967 Abortion Act – infringe on women’s right enshrined in the European Convention of Human Right (ECHR)

This week’s hearing at the highest court in the land comes after Northern Ireland’s three most senior judges overturned a ruling by the High Court in Belfast that the country’s abortion laws were illegal.

The justices will consider, firstly, whether current laws are compatible with the ECHR and, secondly, whether…

The three part series called “Retreat:  Meditations from a Monastery” will highlight monks in Downside Abbey, Pluscarden Abbey and Belmont Abbey.

The first episode is set in Downside Abbey in Somerset and follows two monks as they adhere to the serene sixth-century lifestyle according to the “Rule of Saint Benedict”. The book, written by Benedict of Nursia, requires monks to prioritise prayer and work.

In the first episode, which features Downside Abbey, shows a typical day for the 14 monks. Their lifestyle includes private prayer, furniture making and baking.

Brother Michael sawing wood at Downside Abbey.

One monk, Father Michael, joined the abbey in his twenties and has been creating furniture in his workshop for the past 48 years. He’s also in charge of repairs for the abbey.  The episode shows the process of him making a prayer table and then also shows how he uses it.

The episode also highlights Father Christopher who has a love for cooking. He also joined the abbey in his twenties and is now 60 year old. The episode shows him bake sourdough bread for lunch. It also shows him collecting wild garlic from the monastery meadows to make garlic butter.

The viewers will be encouraged to adopt the peaceful, restful and reflective…