Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that the operational recommendations in an independent review of abortion services will be implemented immediately.
He told the Dáil that these are being referred to the HSE for implementation and he said it would work on encouraging GPs to provide the service.
He also said that it was "not good enough" that only 11 of the country's 19 maternity hospitals are providing surgical terminations and he said that a programme is being put in place to ensure that all 19 provide the service by early next year.
Other recommendations in the report require legislative change and Mr Varadkar said these are being referred to the all-party Oireachtas Health Committee for their consideration.
The Taoiseach said it was up to them how long their deliberations might take.
The review was carried out by barrister Marie O'Shea and it was passed by Cabinet today.
Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said the report found that women were facing delays and obstruction and she said it was an indictment of the public health service that only 11 of 19 maternity hospitals are providing abortion services.
She also criticised the requirement for a three-day wait period as "paternalistic and patronising" and she said it was particularly indefensible in cases of fatal foetal abnormality.
People Before Profit TD Brid Smith said the biggest issue at stake was that around 700 women had travelled abroad for an abortion since Repeal.
She said the three-day wait was an impediment in the process.
Ms Smith also criticised Mr Varadkar's comments last week that he would be "uncomfortable" to make changes to the legislation so soon after the referendum.
She said: "let me remind you, this is about women in this country. It's not about how you feel or how any other minister feels".
Review recommends rise in abortion service provision
The review into the State's abortion law has recommended an increase in the provision of termination services across the country.
The review, to be presented published in full tomorrow, sets out a range of legislative and operational recommendations in respect of the law.
It has also found an uneven geographic spread of hospitals providing termination services.
Operational changes include increasing the provision of termination services. The review found that here are 422 community providers and that 11 of the 19 maternity hospitals in the country are involved in service provision.
Plans are underway to increase the number of maternity hospitals providing abortion services to 17 by the end of June.
Increasing the number of GPs in Ireland to 6,000 by 2028 is also seen as important to improve access to termination services.
Legislative changes proposed in the review include removing medical practitioners from the scope of criminal sanction, removing the mandatory three-day waiting period and allowing abortion beyond 12 weeks in certain circumstances.
The review points out that termination services are not configured to run 365 days a year and finds that the three-day waiting period can therefore turn into a "four or five day wait for treatment", if the first visit takes place close to the weekend.
Other legislative proposals include introducing a statutory obligation on healthcare workers to refrain from providing misleading information and enabling nurses, midwives and other healthcare professionals to become more involved in the provision of termination services.
Operational changes, seen as less contentious, will be referred to an integration group to be established within the HSE.
Additional reporting: Tommy Meskill
