Fewer than half of Fianna Fáil TDs may end up voting with their leader Micheál Martin in support of the Government’s abortion legislation after his failure to bring the parliamentary party with him on the question.

Mr Martin has granted a free vote on the legislation after a meeting of the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party yesterday made it clear that most of the parliamentary party was not with him on the issue, the Irish Times reports.

It is the first such move by any Fianna Fáil leader in modern times.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is continuing to reject demands for a free vote within Fine Gael, where a number of TDs and Senators have serious reservations about the legislation.  

In a party reduced to 17 Dáil seats, TDs believe Mr Martin can count on support for the Bill from only six or seven deputies.  

Those likely to support it include Billy Kelleher, Timmy Dooley, Niall Collins, Barry Cowen and Michael Moynihan.

Prominent among those against it are finance spokesman Michael McGrath, a constituency colleague of Mr Martin, and John McGuinness.  

“I don’t see my role as forcing a line down people’s throats and I don’t look at it in that light. It is an issue of conscience,” Mr Martin said last night after meeting his parliamentary party.

Fianna Fáil will establish protocols for free votes on other questions of conscience. Mr Martin said these would be reserved for issues linked to abortion and euthanasia and would not cover gay marriage.

In Washington , Minister of State for Europe Lucinda Creighton said she still hopes abortion on grounds of suicide risk will be excluded.“There is a long way to go yet in terms of the legislative process.”

She noted Minister for Health James Reilly has resolved to accept amendments, but other Government sources say change on suicide is unlikely. The Oireachtas health committee presented the report on its hearings on the legislation to Dr Reilly yesterday.