The Pro-Life Campaign has challenged Fine Gael and Labour to outline their alternative to the proposed referendum. Speaking at a news conference this afternoon, Dr Berry Kiely challenged both parties to outline in more precise detail how they intend to legislate for abortion.
She said that the electorate was entitled to answers to these basic questions before polling day. The Pro-Life Campaign has also called on the media to ask these hard questions to both Fine Gael leader Michael Noonan and Labour leader Ruairí Quinn.
Dr Kiely said that the choice facing the electorate is a stark one. "Either we restore legal protection to the unborn and safe guard all necessary treatment for women in pregnancy by voting yes or the alternative is to adopt the Fine Gael and Labour legislative approach, which she claims would inevitably lead to abortion on demand," she said.
Meanwhile, the Church of Ireland Bishop of Limerick has condemned the Government's abortion referendum proposals as "disastrous". The Right Reverend Michael Mayes said that it was difficult to see how they or the Crisis Pregnancy Agency will be of any help to the thousands of women who had been forced to travel abroad for abortions.
Bishop Mayes reiterated his church's view that the Constitution was not an appropriate place to deal with complex issues such as abortion. He said that it was a matter instead for detailed legislation.
Bishop Mayes claimed it was unfair to ask people to approve yet another amendment along with legislation when its contents are only known in broad outline by the public. He said that the lack of definition over the protection levels offered by the legislation was resulting in legal and moral confusion.
"The existing clauses in the Constitution, which are to be retained, give tacit recognition, if not approval, to people travelling to other jurisdictions to have abortions," said the Bishop.
He said that it was difficult to see how the referendum proposals will do anything to clear up what he called "such disastrous moral ambiguity". He added that they would not be of any help to those thousands who had been forced to take what he called "that tragic road".
In a further development, the Methodist Church has called for a No vote in the abortion referendum. It says that the Government's proposals will do nothing to reduce the level of abortions or to address social issues giving rise to them. The Church also objects to the attempt to row back on the Supreme Court judgement in the "X Case". It says that there is a need to enshrine it, and the subsequent judgement in the "C Case", in legislation.
