A major review of security for future Fianna Fail ardfheiseanna is to be undertaken following the attempt by a group of antiabortion protesters to interrupt the Taoiseach's keynote speech to the party conference in the RDS on Saturday.
Security on the home of the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, is also to be examined following the disturbances in which protesters heckled and attempted to rush the stage when Mr Ahern was speaking.
Eight protesters were escorted from the RDS by security personnel. Six, five men and one woman, were taken to Donnybrook Garda station to have their names verified. Most of the group is believed to be members of the anti-abortion group, Youth Defence.
It is understood that when he replaced Mr Cowen as Minister for Health recently, Mr Martin was warned by Department officials that his home could become a target of protesters.
Previous ministers for health, including Mr Michael Noonan and Mr Brendan Howlin, had their homes picketed by members of the Youth Defence group.
A Fianna Fail spokesman last night said a review of Saturday night's events would be undertaken and any measures needed to improve security would be introduced.
A party source said the challenge would be to improve security while at the same time maintain access to the Taoiseach, which he thrives on. "We need appropriate security without having a ring of steel thrown around him."
One of the areas that will be examined is the issuing of observers' passes for ardfheiseanna. It is understood that the protesters gained access to the hall for the Taoiseach's speech using passes.
"It is very easy to get an observer's pass. It is only a matter of ringing up your local TD or councillor. That is one area that will be examined," the source said.
The disturbances began when Mr Ahern was paying tribute early in his address to the late Fianna Fail leader and former Taoiseach, Mr Jack Lynch.
While the attention of the security team was drawn to one man in the audience who stood up and shouted "we want another referendum", a second man vaulted a security barrier and ran up to the stage where the Taoiseach was speaking and displayed a poster.
He was immediately surrounded by Mr Ahern's security team, the Fianna Fail general secretary, Mr Martin Macken, Mr Sean Ardagh TD and MEP Mr Pat "The Cope" Gallagher.
The Taoiseach managed to continue with his address despite the disturbances although he did momentarily lose his place on the auto-cue. There were four other disturbances during the speech.
On RTE radio yesterday Mr Ahern said a protester running up the side aisle caught his eye.
"One cleared the fence which is a very high barrier and made his way to the stage. I suppose the only thing that did concern me for a moment is that I saw he was carrying something. I didn't know what and so I decided just to ignore it and keep going.
"Luckily for me and for everything else that my own security people, my own detectives, got to him quickly. It shouldn't have happened but I suppose if it was in another country it could have been very different because my own detectives are armed and they didn't take too lightly to it."
Mr Ahern's two daughters, Georgina and Cecilia, and his partner, Ms Celia Larkin, witnessed the disturbances from the front row where they were watching the speech. "Of course they got a fright but it became clear very quickly that Mr Ahern was not in any danger," a source said.
Youth Defence picketed the ardfheis on Saturday afternoon and displayed placards showing pictures of foetuses.
Last August the group gave an undertaking to the High Court it would stop picketing the Irish Family Planning Association clinic in Cathal Brugha Street, Dublin.