A cabinet minister says she doesn't believe the Dáil should open with a prayer.

But Katherine Zappone hasn't said how she'll vote tomorrow, when TDs are asked if it should be scrapped.

The row over the Dail prayer is continuing today, with Atheist Ireland encouraging people to call their TD and lobby against it.

TDs last night debated plans to follow the prayer with 30 seconds of 'reflective silence' - a change which will also make it mandatory to stand for the Christian prayer delivered beforehand.

But the changes were put to a vote which will only take place tomorrow afternoon.

Among the proposed amendments is one which would scrap the prayer entirely - the position personally favoured by Zappone, whose voting intention is not clear.

If she were to vote for that prospect tomorrow, she would be likely to break ranks with the government on the issue.

Elsewhere another TD has suggested the prayer should be scrapped and replaced with 60 seconds of silence - which should then be introduced at other points of the day to calm any tensions between TDs.

Our political correspondent Gavan Reilly reports: