The Progressive Democrats are in favour of the proposed abortion referendum the Minister of State, Ms Liz O'Donnell, said yesterday.
Ms O'Donnell said it was a matter of record that her party had been against embarking on another divisive referendum on the abortion issue without any broad consensus becoming apparent.
"The conduct of part referendums and the complexity of the issue led us to this position. Legislation has always been our preference." However, she said, it was the party's hope the proposal unveiled yesterday and the recent Medical Council decision would provide a balanced framework and context for a reasoned, clear and broad consensus to develop.
Ms O'Donnell, who was a member of the Cabinet sub-committee on abortion, said the Government was bringing forward what many might see as a relatively conservative proposal. "The legislation seeks to reach out to the consensus of the middle ground and, in our view, has the capacity to garner the support of reasonable-minded people."
It defined what was abortion and what was not; what was prohibited and what was not. "It operates within the existing constitutional protection for the right to life of both the mother and the unborn, while permitting, through appropriate legislation, all current medical practice. It also regularises the position in relation to the 'morning after' pill and restated and confirms the right to travel and information."
It contemplated, she said, that where there was an unavoidable conflict between "the right to life of the two-constitutionally protected individuals, the mother's right to life shall prevail".
Ms O'Donnell said the feelings of many people relating to the X case were still conflicted and fraught.
She believed the decision in the X case was the correct one but it was not always appropriate to legislate for a general situation "on the hard facts of an individual" case.
"As law, the status quo is not tenable. It leaves unacceptable ambiguities for women, for the unborn and for medical practitioners Like it or not we are dealing with a greenfield site, legally or unconstitutionally. What is clear is that equal right to life of the unborn as stated in our Constitution simply is not compatible with a liberal abortion regime in Ireland."
Ms O'Donnell believed the proposal was unlike any of the previous two referendums and was the result of much more thought and deliberation.
"Most of all, unlike the previous referendums, it puts the woman's relationship with her medical practitioner at the heart of the issue.
"Previously, no mention was made in the various amendment texts of the medical practitioner in caring for their women patients and for unborn human life."
She hoped people were capable of debating this issue and democratically agreeing a way forward without rancour and politicking.