The Social Protection Minister says she expects some response from the government on the issue of medical abortion legislation by the end of the month.

Joan Burton says the government has until then to respond to a European Court of Human Rights ruling.

The court found that Ireland had failed to properly implement the Constitutional right to life of the mother set out in 1992.

Meanwhile Labour Party backbenchers are being warned that they are obliged to support the government position on abortion law.

The Education Minister Ruairi Quinn says all members of his party in the Dáil are expected to back the government when a Sinn Fein motion calling for abortion legislation is debated tomorrow.

The Health Minister James Reilly said yesterday it could be next year before the government decides its position on abortion law.

Clear timeline

But Sinn Fein has tabled a motion in the Dáil tomorrow calling on the government to legislate for abortion arising out of the Supreme Court decision on the "X Case".

While Minister Burton says the Health Minister James Reilly has a clear timeline in mind.

"He has indicated in media interviews or in press reports over the weekend that he expects to have some discussion at Cabinet not tomorrow, but next week" she said.

"And in the context of the European Court ruling I would have thought that that would have been required anyway - because as it happens the European Court ruling has to be responded to by the end of this month" she added.