The bill to allow abortion services in Ireland has cleared its final hurdle in the Seanad.
Last night in the Seanad, the report and final stages were completed - meaning the bill has now made it through the Oireachtas.
In the final vote, Senators passed the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill by 27 votes to 5.
The legislation will now go to President Michael D Higgins to be signed into law.
It means the introduction of abortion services will be able to begin from January.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar described it as an historic moment for Irish women.
"A vote to end lonely journeys"
Health Minister Simon Harris says he looks forward to a new reality for women's healthcare.
Just over 200 days ago, you, the people of Ireland voted to repeal the 8th so we could care for women with compassion. Today we have passed the law to make this a reality. A vote to end lonely journeys, end the stigma and support women’s choices in our own country
— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) December 13, 2018
He observed: "I want to thank the campaigners who fought for 35 years to change a nation, to change hearts and minds.
"I want to thank the minority who fought the battle in here when it was convenient for the majority to ignore.
"But today, I think mostly of the thousands of women who were forced to make the journey to access care that should have been available in their own country."
Senator Catherine Noone, who chaired the Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment, said: "I've been contemplating for the last few hours and thinking about various things - but predominantly my thoughts are with Savita and all of the women who had to travel in times when our laws abandoned women in this country.
"Thankfully, our decades old English solution to an Irish problem will come to an end once the President signs this bill."
It's planned that abortion services will be available from January - around seven months after Irish people voted to repeal the Eighth Amendment.
