The Progressive Democrats have said that they are assessing the findings of a new poll showing that the Government could be in danger of losing an abortion referendum. A spokesman for the Tánaiste said that Mary Harney would meet with the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, next week to decide how to take the matter forward.
Before Christmas, the PD leader told the Dáil that it would be unwise to proceed finally to a referendum unless there was sufficient board middle ground support for the proposed amendment.
In a survey today for the Irish Times, most voters were in favour of holding the referendum, but only a small majority said that they would support the proposed amendment. Fine Gael spokesman on Health, Gay Mitchell, said that the Government should now deal with the issue by way of legislation.
However, Fianna Fáil Minister of State for Health and Children, Mary Hanafin, said that the opinion poll shows that people want to decide on the abortion issue for themselves.
The results of the new poll suggest that 39% of the electorate would vote for the proposal and 34% would vote against it. Twenty-one percent gave no opinion and 6% said that they would not vote. The referendum is expected to be held early in March.
