Abortion debate: Taoiseach accused of 'cowardice'

Fine Gael has accused the Taoiseach of "political cowardice" for refusing to participate in a TV debate with Michael Noonan on the forthcoming abortion referendum.

Mr Ahern rejected the idea by saying he didn’t want to politicise the issue, but Fine Gael’s Alan Dukes retorted by saying the Taoiseach had already tried to politicise the debate by "dividing it along party lines".