The Taoiseach has again warned of the prospect of a liberal abortion regime in Ireland should the forthcoming abortion referendum be defeated. He said he was opposed to this because of sincerely held pro-life beliefs.
Launching his party's campaign for a Yes vote in Dublin yesterday, Mr Ahern said: "I do not want to see a pro-choice, liberal abortion regime in this country. If people vote against this we know what the logical position is." That position was that the X case should be legislated for.
Mr Ahern warned last week that this would ultimately lead to a liberal abortion regime, as this was what had happened in other countries. "I told my party this week that if this is defeated, don't come back to me and say there is some other device," he said yesterday.
The logical conclusion of a defeat was that the X case should be legislated for. He said a stronger pro-choice lobby was coming to the fore in Ireland.
In the past there was unanimity within the medical profession on the issue, but "there is now a pro-choice medical group. If people want the position that we are going to have pro-choice, the logical conclusion is you must legislate. These people are arguing that they wanted legislation allowing abortion in this country. They should say it honestly."
He said he believed the Irish people wanted "to avoid the drift to abortion on demand as seen in other countries". His stance on abortion was due to personal beliefs which he said he held "deeply, honestly and sincerely".
He said the correct medical response to a pregnant woman who was suicidal was to offer her help and support and to treat her underlying medical condition, not to offer her an abortion.
If you believed otherwise, he went on, "then you have to look at where your argument is, and if you believe abortion is a right [in those circumstances], you have to legislate for it."
He distanced himself from earlier claims by the Minister for the Marine, Mr Fahey, that several women had attempted to obtain abortions in Ireland in the last 12 months on the basis of being suicidal. Mr Ahern said Mr Fahey was quoting a member of the medical profession.
"We have no such information," he said. "Mr Fahey has not raised this with anybody and neither would he. Our position is based on the judgment of medical experts, not on what Minister Fahey said."
Despite bitter and abusive Dáil exchanges on the topic yesterday morning, Mr Ahern asserted that the debate on the issue had been "dramatically less aggressive and emotional than before". He said he was now fulfilling a pledge he made to give people a say on the issue.
"I promised to allow people the opportunity to participate in a constructive consultation and research process, to have the results of this considered in depth and to let them decide. That was my stated position in 1997 and I am fulfilling my promise."
Many of those seeking to defeat the proposal "have sought to throw up an unnecessary cloud of confusion".