Legislation regulating fertility treatment could be introduced as early as 2004, the Minister for Health has told The Irish Times. Mr Martin was opening an international conference on the subject in Dublin organised by the Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction.
Yesterday's meeting was punctuated by animated barracking by anti-abortion supporters who said the Minister was attending an illegal meeting.
They prevented the commission's chairwoman, Prof Dervilla Donnelly, from making introductory remarks at the beginning of the conference.
Mr Martin told The Irish Times that as soon as he receives the commission's report, due this summer, he will move to the next stage of the process and hoped to have policy proposals next year.
"What is of major concern to me is that the best and most appropriate regulatory framework is put in place," Mr Martin said.
"It was evident to me that the absence of statutory control of the area was a source of concern and that, while guidelines issued by the Medical Council governed medical practice in this area, such guidelines would be ineffective in the case of individuals other than registered medical practitioners.
"Once the commission has produced its report there will be no delay in advancing the next stage of the process in terms of bringing forward policy proposals to regulate this area."
The report is due this June, Prof Donnelly said. This will go to the Minister and be the basis for further consultation and public debate before he formulates his proposals.
The Minister told the audience that the Government was totally opposed to human cloning, and this was also the position throughout Europe.
Matters being considered by the commission include infertility treatments such as in-vitro fertilisation, artificial insemination, the use of donor eggs, surrogacy and the treatment of embryos and human cloning. It received over 1,600 submissions.
Yesterday's conference was publicly advertised and well attended. Among the members of the public who participated were a number of anti-abortion activists and people who suffer from infertility and were seeking treatment.
Prof Donnelly introduced the Minister. When she resumed her own introductory remarks, members of the audience interrupted her saying it was an "illegal meeting".
"The Irish people have spoken twice on this issue," they said and demanded that the meeting be called off. Mr Martin, they added, was attending an illegal meeting.
Following an intervention by the chairman, Dr John Bowman, the conference resumed. "This is an awesome agenda, and it is right it should be," he told the conference.
Baroness Warnock, chair of the UK Committee of Inquiry into Human Fertilisation and Embryology and Prof Robert Harrison of the Rotunda Hospital, who spoke for the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, gave opening addresses.
In the question-and-answer session which followed, Prof William Binchy of the ProLife Campaign claimed there was "a universality of human rights", and "the human rights of life from the beginning to the end" had to be protected. Baroness Warnock responded: "I honestly don't believe that an appeal to human rights has a grip on this debate."
Ms Maureen Junker Kenny said there were "good reasons why risks should not be taken", but Ms Geraldine Kelly, who is attempting to overcome infertility, argued for tolerance. Flanked by her husband, Brendan, she said to loud applause: "We are very pro- life here because we would like to create it."
Mr Tony Jordon, who gave no affiliation, said he was opposed to abortion, but added: "There are no easy answers, and we have to be tolerant of one another."