Tánaiste: Government will sign off on abortion legislation tomorrow

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Mr Gilmore said the former leader of Fine Gael was entitled to his own views, but insisted the Government was committed to its decision to legislate on the X case.

"The Government has already settled on an approach to this issue and the approach will be decided by Cabinet this week - the content of the legislation," the Tánaiste said.

"This is always an area that is complex but at the end of the day, it's about providing safety, it's providing certainty for women and we intend to legislate to that effect."

Mr Bruton's

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Fine Gael is divided over the issue of suicide and whether it should be included in the legislation.

Mr Gilmore said during a visit to Belfast: "The Government has to make a decision on this matter. There is a requirement to legislate.

"We had an expert group, which looked at authors, who made recommendations. We had to decide to proceed by way of legislation. That legislation is going to be considered by Government and the Government has made a decision on it and the legislation will be published."

Mr Gilmore said he expects Government ministers to make a decision on the legislation at Cabinet.

"From the very beginning, we have made it clear that we want to provide certainty for the medical practitioners where a woman's life is at risk," he said.

"This is about listening to what women want in this situation, it is about providing legal certainty.

"We have an approach that we have agreed on. We expect the minister of health (Dr James Reilly) will be bringing the heads of legislation to Government this week."

Labour came under increased fire yesterday when it was accused of using legislation on the X case as a starting point to force through a wider agenda of liberalising the country's abortion laws.

Secretly-recorded tapes of Dublin North TD Aodhan O Riordain emerged in which he was heard claiming the party's public stance was different from its true aim.

He later responded to the reports, saying the conversation was recorded without his knowledge or consent, and that his personal views were well known and not necessarily representative of the wider party.

Junior Labour minister Alan Kelly also rejected suggestions that Labour's goal was to further liberalise abortion, saying its priority was to legislate for the X case as part of Government.

The issue of suicide as grounds for abortion within the legislation has caused friction within the coalition, and within the Fine Gael party.

Last week, TDs were divided over speculation that the new law would provide for six psychiatrists to be drafted in to assess suicidal women seeking an abortion.

The Government committed to reforming the ban on abortion by July following the death of Savita Halappanavar in a Galway hospital last year after being denied a termination during miscarriage.

A European court ruling also found that a woman in remission from cancer should not have been forced to travel overseas for an abortion.