But nothing from the leader of the Government, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

It appears that Leo Varadkar has been hiding behind the process — from the Citizens’ Assembly, to the Oireachtas Committee tasked with studying the issue, to obtaining the views of Cabinet and his own parliamentary party, and now waiting for the wording of what will be put before the people, the

Taoiseach has found ways to wiggle out of giving us a straight-up, personal view on what he actually thinks.

In not publicly expressing a view, he has also bought time for others in Cabinet who may be grappling with what would replace the contentious Eighth Amendment.

And, as Fianna Fáil Micheál Martin — who would have been seen as a significantly more conservative leader than the Taoiseach — stood in the Dáil to lend support to the Oireachtas Committee recommendations last night, Mr Varadkar was absent.

Some in Fine Gael may argue that he is right to mull over the question of abortion for a prolonged period. This gives the leader the opportunity to walk side by side with many in middle Ireland as they grapple with what they believe is a significant question of conscience.

Similarly, former taoiseach Enda Kenny struggled with the issue of marriage equality, turning it over in his mind for before finally settling an internal moral battle and, as public opinion began to solidify, taking a stand in favour of the historic 2015 referendum.

This tactic of bringing conservative Ireland along the road with him clearly worked for his predecessor but, for Mr Varadkar, holding his tongue might be seen as lacking leadership.

In fact, this was the claim laid against him by Labour leader Brendan Howlin and Fianna Fáil’s Billy Kelleher this week, both of whom claimed that the Taoiseach, in his ambiguity, had only created confusion.

A hesitant Taoiseach is not what many would have expected from a 39-year-old doctor who styled himself as a modern leader when he was elected by Fine Gael to take over from Mr Kenny last May.

Indeed, during a debate on the Eighth Amendment back in 2014, the then minister for health said: “I like to believe that I am a conviction politician, often definite and sometimes blunt,” but he qualified his remarks by claiming the issue of abortion is different.

He went on to say that the Eighth Amendment is “too restrictive” and has had a “chilling effect” on doctors.

“While it protects the right to life of the mother, it has no regard for her long-term health,” he said.

“If a stroke, heart attack, epileptic seizure happens, perhaps resulting in permanent disability as a result, then that is acceptable under our laws. I do not think that is right.

“Similarly, it forces couples to bring to term a child that has no chance of survival for long outside the womb, if at all. It forces them, against their own judgment, to explain for weeks and months to all enquirers that their baby is dead.”

His reluctance to come out with a public opinion now perhaps shows that the young-gun leader is not quite as liberal as initially billed.

In a briefing with journalists before Christmas, Mr Varadkar indicated that his opinion has “evolved”, but whatever change this may be, he has kept it to himself.

The Taoiseach kept his silence as the Oireachtas Committee examining the Eighth Ammendment painstakingly

listened to experts, medics and other groups on the issue in the final months of 2017.

He allowed them the time and space to come up with recommendations which were published in December.

However, after the publication of the committee’s report, which favours a referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment, as well as replacement legislation which would allow for abortion without restriction up to 12 weeks’ gestation and the decriminalisation of terminations in Ireland for women and by licensed doctors, he also held back.

He failed to publicly support the recommendations and asked for time over Christmas to parse over the report, which was written after hundreds of hours of witness testimony and questioning in the committee room.

On December 14, he indicated that his view would be made known early in the new year.

“We set out a process here a couple of years ago and that process is coming to a conclusion,” he told reporters before an EU Council meeting in Brussels.

“Both I and members of the Government are going to spend the Christmas period understanding that.

“We will then have a meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party in early January, where I’ll hear the views of the Fine Gael party and after that there will be a debate in the Dáil and the Government will discuss it.”

Christmas has come and gone, but the Taoiseach remains tight-lipped.

Instead he has pushed his deadline out until as far as March, with a spokesman this week confirming that Mr Varadkar will wait until Health Minister Simon Harris has the wording of the referendum set out in “in black and white”.

A day later, on Wednesday of this week the Taoiseach danced around the subject again, claiming he “doesn’t think it’ll be March”, putting faith in Mr Harris’ ability to deliver the wording of the question that will be put to the nation before then.

“What I’ve said consistently is that I’ll give my view when I know what the wording is,” he said. “I appreciate some people have decided to say how they will vote without having seen the wording.

"I’m a little more cautious, I’d actually like to sit down and see the question in black and white, to know what the question is, before I vote.

“But I think we’ll have the wording quite soon, and I don’t think it’s going to take until March to do that. And I’ll be happy to give my opinion at that stage.”

He stressed that an important part of leadership is listening.

“I did want to listen to the views of Cabinet, I wanted to listen to my parliamentary party and their views,

I listened to their views for five and a half hours, and I’m paying attention to the debate that’s now happening in the Dáil and Seanad. So having listened, I will lead.”

But last night, as TD after TD, stood to give passionate and cuttingly honest contributions on the Eighth Amendment, Mr Varadkar once again decided to refrain from publicly taking the lead.