A Labour minister says it would be "cruel" for Labour TDs to vote for a fatal foetal abnormalities bill which "is constitutionally infirm" and "would have no effect".

Brendan Howlin was speaking ahead of a meeting of the Labour parliamentary party today - which will discuss the vote called by socialist TD Clare Daly.

Labour TD Anne Ferris says she will support the bill in spite of Government instructions - while as many as four other of her party colleagues could also vote against the Government.

Brendan Howlin says Labour has been at the forefront of advancing issues around abortion law - but says the Bill won't have any effect for people in "painful" situations:

The other TDs whose positions are unclear are Ciara Conway (Waterford), Dominic Hannigan (Meath East), Sean Kenny (Dublin North-East) and Michael NcNamara (Clare).

Clare Daly herself has described the Government's explanation as a "cop out".

She says there's no reason why the bill couldn't be symbolically supported in its first vote today, and then merely scrapped further along the process when the question of its legality can be teased out in full.