Cabinet fails to agree on abortion legislation

A meeting of the cabinet has concluded without any agreement on abortion legislation.

The government will continue discussions next week on the draft proposals to deal with the Supreme Court X case judgement.

The Health Minister James Reilly gave his colleagues a progress report today.

The Education Minister Ruairi Quinn admits there are differences of opinion: "This is a very sensitive issue and a lot of people have different points of view. It's not black or white, different people have different attitudes towards it.

"We have a Supreme Court ruling that the government is committed to legislating for.

"But of course there is a difference of opinion. That's what a parliament is about, for people to discuss those differences."