Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he would be "reluctant and uncomfortable" to make any major changes to the legislation on abortions.
The comments come as changes to the existing three-day wait period before terminations or administration of required medication have been recommended in a review of abortion services for the Government.
The review suggests making the wait period advisory, rather than mandatory as it is at present.
This would mean women would be told by a GP that they would be entitled to wait for three days.
Mr Varadkar said when he and others went out to campaign for a Yes vote in the 2018 referendum to repeal the Eighth Amendment, "we said that there would be safeguards".
"That included things like the waiting period, it included things like the protection of conscientious objections," he said.
"I have to say, I for one would be reluctant and uncomfortable to make any major legislative changes so soon after that referendum.
"But this is a matter that people will be able to make up their own mind on but that's certainly my feelings about it at the moment."
Mr Varadkar said the report on the review of abortion services in Ireland will go to the Cabinet on Tuesday and he said the Government intends to publish it thereafter.
The review group, which was chaired by barrister Marie O'Shea, recommends changes to existing legislation and operational changes.
It has also recommended removal of a criminal sanction against any GP who acts outside the specific circumstances laid out in law.
Under existing legislation, this is punishable by a 14-year prison term.
Mr Varadkar said: "It won't be the case that the Government is going to sign-off on any legislative changes, that's not going to happen."
The review also recommends changes to circumstances where a termination can take place due to a fatal foetal abnormality beyond the 12-week window during which abortions can normally take place.
At present, two medical practitioners must agree a foetus will die within 28 days of birth before an abortion can take place after 12 weeks.
However, it is understood the review suggests that this would be reduced to one medical practitioner.
Any legislative changes are likely to be referred to the Oireachtas Committee on Health for consideration.
The final changes would be agreed by Government before proceeding through the Oireachtas.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said it is "completely unacceptable" that only 11 of the 19 Irish maternity units provide abortion services.
Speaking in Grange, Co Sligo, Mr Donnelly also confirmed that he received the review in the last two weeks and said he has gone through it in detail.
He described the review as "very good" and said it recognises that there has been enormous progress made in terms of providing abortion services.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said that he welcomed the review, describing it as a comprehensive report.
He said that there would be significant legislative changes and over 30 operational recommendations with potentially up to ten amendments to legislation being recommended.
Mr Martin added that within Fianna Fáil people would have a conscious vote and free vote on the issues but he would like to see all hospitals observing the law and provide services, and he would expect this by quarter three this year.
"As a basic minimum requirement, public hospitals should provide that which has been legally provided for and which the people have voted for," Mr Martin said.
The report also highlights issues with access to abortion services that are not provided by GPs in some communities.
The review said the introduction of legislation on safe access zones, effectively prohibiting protests outside GPs' clinics, should help address the issue.
The planned new law on safe access zones is on the Government's summer legislative programme.
Sinn Féin's health spokesperson David Cullinane said the report should be published and "accompanied by all of the research".
He said: "Given leaks to the media, it is in the public interest to publish this report straight away.
"The report seems to propose a number of operational and legislative changes. The report and evidence needs a proper examination by the Oireachtas and the health committee is the appropriate committee to do that."
Mr Cullinane added that Mr Donnelly "should move quickly to cooperate with the health committee".
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has said the the detail coming out on the abortion review is "incredible".
He said that hundreds of thousands of people voted Yes in the abortion referendum in 2018, on the promise by the government that this was the law and that it would not be the thin end of the wedge.
He said that four years later the Government seemingly are looking to deregulate the abortion law under which there will be "far more" abortions.
Deputy Tóibín said that there were 8,500 abortions last year which was "heartbreaking".
He said he wanted to see the Government invest in protecting and supporting mothers.
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Labour leader Ivana Bacik has welcomed the review into abortion legislation and has urged Minister Donnelly to progress the recommended changes as soon as possible.
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime, she said serious concerns remain regarding the lack of availability of services nationwide, pushing girls and women living outside of cities into having to travel long distances to access advice, information and services.
People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith has called for the three-day waiting period to be "abolished".
She also said medical practitioners must have the threat of criminalisation removed completely.
"It is completely unconscionable that five years after the Repeal campaign women still had to travel out of their country to avail of basic healthcare," she said.
Rural Independent TD Mattie McGrath said he had grave concerns about the direction of the Government's abortion policy.
"This report resembles the slippery slope that I and my colleagues warned about in the Dáil and during the referendum. All promises made during the referendum have been broken," he said.
He called on the Government to "consider the serious implications of the recommendations in the report" and prioritise "the protection of women and unborn children in any future legislation".
Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns described comments by Mr Varadkar on the review group's report as deeply unhelpful and that "the health and well-being of women must be front and centre of any recommendations".
"It was a most inappropriate intervention by Mr Varadkar to publicly state that he is uncomfortable with making any major changes to abortion legislation. This is despite the fact that the review group’s report has yet to be brought to Cabinet," she said.
Additional reporting David Murphy
