No decisions will be made about how to proceed on the question of abortion until the All-Party Oireachtas Committee has completed its deliberations, the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, told the Dail.

He agreed it was the Taoiseach's opinion that at some stage of the process there should be "consultation with the people". But he said it would be the Minister who would have the responsibility to make proposals to Government on the issue.

He told Labour's health spokeswoman, Ms Liz McManus, that 105,000 submissions were made to the Oireachtas committee and he understood it was "close to finalising the analysis" of those submissions. Mr Martin added that the Taoiseach was anxious to achieve consensus on the issue.

"There has been enough division on this issue going back 20 years and we are anxious to achieve consensus in the first instance."

The Minister told Fine Gael's health spokesman, Mr Alan Shatter, that he had discussed the issue with the three independent TDs who have sought a referendum on abortion and he had told them how he intended to proceed, "which is to await the outcome of the committee's work".