The Taoiseach has insisted that allowing suicidal tendencies as grounds for abortion would lead to an "enormous" increase in the number of terminations. Bertie Ahern said this was what had happened in other countries, and that people should be honest about that.
He was responding to comments by the Irish Family Planning Association, which accused him of telling lies about the consequences of a No vote in next month's Referendum. The Chief Executive of the Irish Family Planning Association, Tony O'Brien, claimed that Mr Ahern was scare mongering in an attempt to secure a Yes vote.
He said that the Taoiseach's claim that a No vote would give Ireland a liberal abortion regime was untrue, because it would require a radical change to the constitution. He added that Ireland has lived with the X Case judgement for ten years, without the emergence of widely available abortion.
Mr O'Brien was speaking at the launch of the IFPA's campaign for a No vote. The Association is spending €40,000 on a billboard and leaflet campaign. IFPA chairperson, Noeleen Hartigan, said they would prefer to spend resources on improving services, but felt it would be irresponsible not to campaign against the Government's proposals, in order to safeguard the health and lives of women.
