Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has said there is a need to bring "legal clarity" to the abortion issue.
"We need to ensure that in this country we do not have a doubt which arises in a hospital in a set of circumstances which puts a mother’s life at risk,’" he added.
Mr Gilmore told the Dáil this morning there was also a need for clarity for medical professionals who had to make judgement calls in those matters in the real-life situation of a hospital.
"We also have to take into account the ethical concerns that some medical professionals may have in respect of this issue," Mr Gilmore added.
He said the Government is going to deal with this issue, adding that the export report on abortion had to be considered by the Government. "I expect it will be published," Mr Gilmore added.
He said the Taoiseach and himself would receive the report some time today, adding that it would then be considered by the Government.
Fianna Fáil's Niall Collins called on the Government to publish the expert group's report. He said that every TD in the House had been lobbied by all sides, adding that he hoped the death of Savita Halappanavar would allow the report to be debated in an "open, sensible and mature manner". No more division than already existed should be created, he added.
Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald said the House had debated the matters for 20 years. "We don’t need a report or an inquiry to tell us that the medical profession is left in legal limbo," she added. "We know that."
