The Cabinet is expected to consider the issue of an abortion referendum tomorrow at its weekly meeting. The Cabinet sub-committee on the issue met last night, its first since the summer break. It was expected the committee, which has studied the issue for a year, would need one more meeting to agree a position to put to the Cabinet.
In July the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, said the committee had aimed to report by the end of that month "subject to conditions". "We have worked on this over the last couple of months and we have more or less completed our work at this stage," he said at the time.
However, at that time the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said the sub-committee still had "a fair bit of checking and consulting" to do before coming up with final observations. The Tanaiste, Ms Harney, made remarks which suggested she was less than enthusiastic about an early poll.
The Medical Council is due to meet tomorrow to discuss its abortion guidelines. There has been speculation that the council may move towards a compromise position on the issue, which has caused division among its members, which would be close to the so-called Fianna Fail position where threatened suicide would not be allowed as a reason for abortion.
Mr Ahern, who has given a commitment to have a referendum during the lifetime of this Dail, said that following the sub-committee's report the Cabinet would assess the situation and see whether it was "a runner or not". The decision would be made once the Cabinet was given the report and had "a long chat on it".
The ministerial sub-committee chaired by Mr Martin also comprises Mr O'Donoghue, Ms O'Rourke, Mr Cowen and Ms Liz O'Donnell.
Meanwhile, Mr Ahern has been urged to "come clean" on whether he intends holding an abortion referendum by the leader of the Labour Party.
Mr Ruairi Quinn said yesterday the issue was too important and its impact on the country too great to be treated as the Taoiseach's "political plaything". It was time for Mr Ahern to indicate if, and when, he intended holding this referendum. "Admittedly, the Taoiseach gave a commitment; the question is whether he intends honouring it," he said.
"I have no doubt that the matter has been discussed ad nauseam by the Cabinet subcommittee, and the position of the pro-life movement has been consistent for a number of years now.
"The idea that there are extensive negotiations going on is a smokescreen. There is either work going on the wording of a referendum and the shape of legislative proposals or there is not."
The only issue which had yet to be decided was whether the Taoiseach believed a referendum to be in his political interests.