The Taoiseach has admitted that he and the Tβnaiste have yet to agree whether an abortion referendum will go ahead and will not make a decision on whether to proceed until January.
Responding to questions from reporters at the EU summit last night, Mr Ahern said he did not doubt that it would take place, but then declined several times to say that the referendum was definitely going ahead.
The acknowledgement that political agreement with the Tβnaiste is required follows Ms Harney's comments on Thursday night that it would be unwise to proceed unless the proposal was seen as having a chance of winning majority support.
Ms Harney said this decision would be made at "the middle to the end of January".
The Taoiseach confirmed last night that he and Ms Harney would discuss the issue of whether to hold a referendum, as well as a possible date, in January.
Asked if the referendum was definitely going ahead, he said: "We'll have that discussion. The whole purpose of doing the legislation was so as we would put it to the people."
Asked if there was now doubt over whether the poll would take place, he said: "I don't have any doubt but I don't want to pre-empt the discussion."
Asked if the January discussion was not just about the date, he first said it was. However, asked if this meant the referendum was definitely going ahead, he said: "We're going to discuss that in January. And the date will be discussed as well, hopefully."
He said he shared Ms Harney's hope that the proposal would receive middle-ground support. "My view is that that is growing."
He said he had expected Fine Gael to support his proposed referendum, saying he had been under pressure from Fine Gael for two years to produce legislation similar to what he produced.
"Obviously they changed their minds along the way."
The need for agreement with the Tβnaiste may make it difficult for the Taoiseach to hold the poll in his preferred month of February. The order for the referendum, to be made by the Minister for the Environment Mr Dempsey, must leave a minimum of 30 days before the referendum takes place
If the poll is not agreed until the end of January, this could push the date into March, closer than the Taoiseach wants to a general election.
The Taoiseach's acknowledgement of the need to consult Ms Harney appears to have been designed to reduce tensions between the parties on the issue. With the two Coalition leaders still in disagreement over whether the national stadium and sports campus will go ahead, Mr Ahern, while determined still to hold a referendum, is keen to avoid conflict between the parties.
However, the enthusiastic support of the Catholic bishops for the plan to roll back the X case decision allowing threatened suicide as a ground for abortion has added to Government confidence that it can win sufficient support for its proposal.