The Taoiseach said he was in favour of an abortion referendum, but the Government would make no decision until it received a report from the all-party committee on the Constitution.

Pressed by the Opposition leaders to state his view on a possible referendum, Mr Ahern replied: "I am promising no referendum until we deal with the all-party committee report."

It was his view that the abortion question was "an extremely sensitive, complicated, complex issue, affecting ethical, moral, social, medical and legal considerations". The people should have some reference to it, whether the issue became constitutional or legislative.

Mr Ahern said the Government's Green Paper had been referred to the all-party committee in September of last year. Advertisements for submissions on the issue had resulted in the committee's receiving 105,000 "communications". The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, said one of the seven options put forward in the Green Paper was the retention of the status quo, which would not require either legislation or a constitutional amendment.

The Taoiseach said he was ruling no option out.