Police were forced to guard the Irish embassy in New Delhi on Friday night as angry protests mounted over the death of Savita Halappanavar.

According to the Evening Herald, Irish ambassador Feilim McLaughlin was summoned by officials from India's Ministry of External Affairs in order to discuss Dublin's response to the tragedy.

Savita was 17 weeks pregnant when she went to the hospital in Galway, where she was denied an abortion despite the fact she was told she was miscarrying. She died from septicemia seven days after being admitted to the hospital.

Her parents Mahadevi and Andanappa Yalagi have demanded that Ireland amend its laws on abortionto ensure "no more lives are lost."

However, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said he will not be rushed into passing legislation.

"This is a matter that has divided Irish society now for a great number of years and I'm not going to be rushed into a situation by force of numbers on any side.

"This is something that has to be treated rationally and openly and truthfully and that's what will happen."

When asked if he was concerned about the response to the international coverage and outrage over the case, he said: "Well, no more than Irish citizens losing their lives in other countries which has happened in the past, this is always a matter of concern.

"Nobody set out for this to happen and as I say it's important that in the case of this particular tragic circumstance that we get to know the facts and the truth and the accuracy and the precision of what happened here so we can comment on the basis of factual evidence and not hearsay."

On the other hand, Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore, who held private talks with the Indian ambassador to Ireland, Debashish Chakravarti, is adamant that action is required.

Gilmore expressed the need for legal clarity on medical termination and said that doing nothing is "not an option."