REACTION: "It is time for all pro-life people to come together and ensure that there is no attempt to legislate for abortion in this country," the Connacht-Ulster MEP, Ms Dana Rosemary Scallon, declared yesterday.
She was speaking as the final referendum result was announced at the Custom House in Dublin.
She added: "Nothing has changed. Our Constitution is intact. It also provides the mother with all the medical care she needs.
" We have the best medical care for pregnant women in Europe."
Ms Scallon, who campaigned for a No vote, and contrary to the stance taken by the Catholic bishops, appeared to call for another referendum after yesterday's close outcome.
"This vote is a victory for the unborn child," she said on her arrival at the centre.
"If there had been a wording acceptable to the whole pro-life community, this would have been carried by a big majority."
The MEP said anti-abortion supporters had not been given the wording they had asked for and it would be "a very simple thing" to have a vote on whether or not the risk of suicide should be allowed as a ground for abortion.
"It is time for the pro-life community to come together and ensure the protection of the unborn child from conception. This is not the referendum we asked for."
She denied that the No vote represented a rejection of the proposal to restrict abortion on the grounds of suicide, or an indication of support for a less restrictive regime.
"You can't get inside the minds of voters and nor can I," she said.
"It is not a call for a liberal abortion regime in this country. I would caution any politician not to do that.
"I believe it is time for people to really work towards what they have asked for and what they did not receive in this referendum."
She said people wanted " the clear option to vote for protecting the life of the child from the moment of conception as well as protecting the mother."
Speaking earlier on RTÉ, Ms Scallon said the wording of the referendum proposal was "deeply flawed".
"That was rejected in 1992 but there was a very clear majority calling for the right to vote for an option to protect life from the moment of conception without in any way endangering the life of the mother."
She said it would be very unwise to seek legislation that would be against the will of the people.
"I know that there were thousands and thousands of pro-life people who were deeply concerned about the wording.
Pro-life people were split by this wording and the tragedy was they are in total agreement in protecting the child from conception," she said.
Ms Scallon said she hoped the Government would in future treat the public with respect by giving them information and giving them time to study it.
"We cannot make decisions on life and death issues - which is exactly what this is - without having proper information,." the Connacht-Ulster MEP added.
• The turnout was among the lowest for any referendum in the past 20 years and fell far short of the vote in the previous two abortion referendums.
Just under 43 per cent of the electorate (42.89 per cent) voted on Wednesday compared to 68.16 per cent in November 1992 and 53.67 per cent in September 1983 when the abortion question was also on the table.
The turnout was better than in the last referendum in June 2001, when just 34.79 per cent voted on the three issues of the Nice Treaty, the abolition of the death penalty and the establishment of the International Criminal Court.
It was, however, substantially lower than the 1999 ballot on changes in local government (51.08), the 1998 vote on the Belfast Agreement and the Amsterdam Treaty (56.2), the 1997 referendum on cabinet confidentiality (47.17) and the 1995 divorce referendum (62.15).
The National Youth Council of Ireland said the low turnout in the abortion referendum was to be expected for "a number of avoidable reasons".
Its president, Mr James Doorley, said these included the length of time the polls were opened, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m; the holding of the referendum on a Wednesday; and the change in polling day from its usual position on a Thursday or Friday.