Rabbitte: Church move on abortion 'a retrograde step'

Labour Minister Pat Rabbitte has criticised Cardinal Sean Brady for comments he made over the weekend on abortion.

Cardinal Brady said the Catholic Church plans to lobby TDs and Ministers on the issue in the coming weeks.

Mr Rabbitte said it would be "a retrograde step" if the Catholic Church went back to dictating to elected representatives on how to address the issue of abortion.

However, Fine Gael TD for Mayo John O'Mahony has said all sides of the argument should be considered.

It comes before an expert group makes a recommendation to the Government next month on how best to legislate for the 'X' case.

Fourteen years ago a Supreme Court judge ruled in the case that a woman should have the right to access an abortion in Ireland if there is a "real and substantial risk to her life".

Cardinal Brady has said the Church believes a new referendum on abortion will have to be held, regardless of the findings of this expert group.