The partner of terminally ill woman Marie Fleming has indicated he is still prepared to help her end her life if those are her wishes.

Tom Curran was speaking to reporters after the 59-year-old lost her Supreme Court appeal against the decision by the High Court to uphold the ban on assisted suicide.

'The court has ruled on Marie's future. We will now go back to Wicklow and live our lives until such time as Marie makes up her mind that she's had enough and in that case the court will have an opportunity to decide on my future', he said.

The former university lecturer who is in the final stages of multiple sclerosis is recovering from a chest infection and did not attend court for today's unanimous ruling by 7 judges of the Supreme Court.

Tom Curran says she is very disappointed' by the outcome.

Tom Curran outside court today

The court has ruled there is no Constitutional right to take one's life even though suicide is no longer a criminal act. Neither is there a right to arrange for one's life to be terminated.

The court has found the provision of the 1993 Criminal law Act which criminalises assisted suicide is 'objectively neutral' and does not discriminate against the physically disabled.

Marie Fleming gave evidence at the High Court that due to physical restrictions she needs help to end her life but that she is prepared to take the final step herself either through a face mask or a cannula.

She suffers constant pain and wishes to die with dignity at her home in Arklow, Co Wicklow at a time of her choosing.

After today's legal defeat the 59-year-old may take her case to Europe.

However Tom Curran has not ruled out lobbying TDs for a change in the law. Chief Justice Susan Denham has found that 'nothing in this judgment should be taken as necessarily implying that it would not be open to the State, in the event that the Oireachtas were satisfied that measures with appropriate safeguards could be introduced, to legislate to deal with a case such as that of the applicant'.

The Chief Justice called it a 'very tragic case'.

Mr. Curran spoke outside the court.