The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, was yesterday accused by the Irish Family Planning Association of throwing a "very dangerous red herring" into the referendum debate by claiming if passed it would remove uncertainty over the use of the morning-after pill.
The IFPA's chief executive, Mr Tony O'Brien, said there was nothing in the proposals which would change the status of the morning-after pill.
"The morning-after pill issue seems to have been introduced in order to hoodwink the section of the population that has a deep concern with access to emergency contraception into voting for what is otherwise a very retrograde set of proposals."
He said Mr Ahern's comments were "particularly shocking because it must be apparent to the Government that the proposals have no effect whatever on morning-after contraception".
"He [Mr Ahern] is creating doubt in people's minds as to whether or not they can even now legally access morning-after contraception. And 95 per cent of doctors in this country are currently providing that. There is a theoretical possibility that there will be abortions arising from this confusion that he is deliberately selling."
He said the referendum was a political tactic which would do nothing to reduce abortion, which was "a great tragedy". The referendum was a "roadblock to progress" and, having to campaign against it, was a waste of the IFPA's scarce resources.
Mr O'Brien was speaking at the launch of the IFPA's national billboard campaign for a No vote.