The Taoiseach has pledged to set up a citizens’ convention to discuss possible changes to the Constitution on abortion within six months of taking office, if Fine Gael is returned to power after the general election.

Speaking in London following a meeting of the British-Irish Council, Enda Kenny said that such a convention should allow citizens and politicians to discuss the issue “in a thorough, broad, respectful and comprehensive manner”.

“If a consensus can be reached at the end of that process. I have every respect for the views of people and will therefore allow them a free vote,” he said.

The Taoiseach said that a free vote was not appropriate in the case of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill because that was essentially a clarification of existing law and the implementation of a Supreme Court ruling .

“It was government legislation clarifying what the existing law is, not introducing new legislation,” he said.

Mr Kenny insisted that the issue had not caused a rift between himself and Fine Gael’s deputy leader, Minister for Children James Reilly, who reignited the debate on the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution when he called this week for an early referendum on repealing it.

“There is no difficulty between myself and the deputy leader of Fine Gael. Dr Reilly is perfectly entitled to his personal views. My issue was that it would be impossible to have an early referendum on an issue that is as complex as this, without the people understanding fully what is involved in it,” Mr Kenny said.

The Taoiseach drew a contrast between the Government’s approach to the issue of abortion and that of successive earlier administrations, which shied away from an issue that had divided Irish society for 30 years. “No government in the intervening period had the courage or the resolution to do what they were required to do, that is to legislate for what the law says, to clarify the law. My government did,” he said.

“I’m very well aware of the many stories that were told to me, arising from the difficulties women have obviously had in this and I feel the sensitivity of that. That’s why this has to be a thorough, comprehensive, empathetic and sensitive discussion.”