Ireland’s opposition leader has stirred the country’s abortion debate by saying he disagrees with the majority of his party and support repeal of the ban on terminating pregnancies. Micheál Martin noted the "cruel inflexibility and unintended consequences" of the ban when he publically came out in support of reform in his remarks on 18 January. Lawmakers are scheduled to vote in March on whether to hold the referendum on the issue, but the outcome seems all but certain. Among EU countries, only Poland and Malta join Ireland in banning abortion in most circumstances.