Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has expressed support for the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill, saying it is consistent with pro-life values.
Mr Martin said the Bill would make abortion more restrictive than is currently the case.
He said that his parliamentary party would make a decision on its approach to the Bill in the next few weeks after the full text is published.
Mr Martin said that the party would make a decision at that stage on whether or not a free vote would be allowed on the Bill as advocated by his constituency colleague and party finance spokesman Michael McGrath.
The Fianna Fáil leader said his personal view was that the legislation vindicated the equal right to life of the mother and the unborn as enshrined in Article 40 of the Constitution.
Mr Martin said the party’s legal adviser, Jim O’Callaghan, had advised that currently a woman who was suicidal could request an abortion with no requirement for a psychiatric assessment but the Bill provided a framework for a proper assessment.
Fears
"I know the inclusion of suicide has raised fears that this could be an avenue for abortion on demand but I cannot see how the legislation would facilitate this," Mr Martin said.
He said the Irish people had twice rejected attempts to eliminate suicide as a ground for abortion and the issue had to be dealt with now.
He said the party’s health spokesman, Billy Kelleher, would make a report to the parliamentary party when the full Bill was published and a decision on whether a free vote would be allowed would be taken at that stage.
“It will be a matter for the parliamentary party to make that decision. I am going to meet deputies and Senators in the coming week. They already know well what my own position is,” he said.
Call for free vote
Earlier this week Mr McGrath publicly called for a free vote on the Bill.
“This is a particularly sensitive, divisive issue. People have very strong personal views and I think for our party that that should be recognised,” Mr McGrath said.
“And we also do have to bear in mind that only a few weeks ago our ardfheis, through the new democratic one-member-one-vote system, did pass a number of strong pro-life motions. We have to have regard to that as well.”
He added that while the objective of the party was to come to an agreed position, he thought that would be difficult. “I don’t believe it is the type of issue where a party whip system should apply,” he said.
“I think that we should strongly consider allowing each individual TD and senator the right to vote in accordance with their own conscience. I think it is a unique situation.”
A large group of Senators and some TDs expressed concern about the inclusion of a suicide clause during a private 4½-hour meeting of the parliamentary party earlier this month, with some insisting they could not support the planned law in its current form.
