Fianna Fáil will not campaign for the repeal of the 8th amendment on abortion.

But the party's leader says that if the proposal is brought forward by someone else, his TDs can vote whatever way they like.

Labour has already promised to campaign for the repeal of the amendment, while Fine Gael has refused to make a commitment yet.

Fianna Fáil's Micheal Martin says members would have a free vote, but his party would not get the ball rolling itself: "We've said collectively as a political party that we would not initiate moves to repeal the 8th, obviously any move to repeal the 8th would have to be very much equally about what would replace the 8th, from our perspective we have freedom of conscience within the parliamentary party.

"We are not going to initiate a referendum to repeal it."