Health Minister James Reilly has said the expert group on abortion had presented its findings to him this week.

The expert group was set up last year to examine the decision of the European Court of Human Rights in the ABC case in 2010, which found that Ireland had failed to implement properly in law the constitutional right to an abortion where a woman's life was deemed to be at significant risk.

This right had been established following the Supreme Court decision in the 1992 X case.

The group's recommendations are expected to prepare for new legislation to be drafted clarifying where abortion is permissible in limited circumstances.

The Minister was speaking in the wake of the recent death in a Galway hospital from septicaemia of a 31-year-old woman who was suffering a miscarriage, who had repeatedly requested but had been refused a termination.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said an independent inquiry into Ms Halappanavar's death had not been ruled out, but the Government would await the results of two internal probes, before taking further action.

Minister Reilly said he wants the HSE to report to him as soon as it has concluded its investigation into the case.

Last night, the Pro-Choice Campaign held a protest outside Leinster House, calling for legislation on abortion to be introduced.

Independent Senator Ronan Mullen said in fairness to the medical staff involved, the outcome of the investigations should be awaited.

He said according to Medical Council guidelines, widely accepted medical practice and Irish law, a woman in Ms Halappanavar’s situation was entitled to the medical treatment she needs. "This is true regardless of the existence of a foetal heartbeat or whether her unborn child might die or already have died."

"A primary issue in this case may have been the diagnosis and management of infection. But there would be no good legal or ethical reason why an induced delivery could not have taken place, once the medical situation called for that,"  Senator Mullen said.

He said it was regrettable that some people were seeking to use this tragedy as an argument for legislating for the Supreme Court decision in the X case.  "There is no legal impediment to offering all necessary medical treatment to pregnant women."

Tragic death rekindles abortion debate