FG TDs open to Church abortion lobbying

A Fine Gael minister has backed proposals by the Church to lobby politicians over abortion, further widening the gulf between the coalition parties on the contentious issue.

The comments by junior finance minister Brian Hayes come a day after a senior Labour minister warned Church authorities to back out of the debate.

The Government is awaiting an expert group’s report on a 2010 European court ruling on abortion which said Ireland needed to legislate or provide a regulatory procedure on abortion.