The government has accused Fine Gael and Labour of raising spurious legal points concerning its abortion proposals in order to sow confusion and avoid debate on the central issues.
The accusation from a Government spokesman last night came as the renewed abortion debate headed for a quagmire of legal and medical argument. Government officials were working last night to answer a series of Labour Party queries, which the Government spokesman said was designed "to create a legal smokescreen with no fire underpinning it".
Meanwhile, Fine Gael released to political correspondents a letter that it said had been sent to the Taoiseach raising 34 legal and medical points. The Government spokesman said last night that the Taoiseach had not received the letter several hours after its distribution to the press.
He claimed Fine Gael was trying to occupy the media with obscure queries "to ensure the media are not asking them where they stand. I would challenge them to say what their views are, if they have made up their minds", he said, referring to the differences within the main opposition party between conservatives and liberals on the abortion issue. The spokesman said Mr Noonan's queries would be answered, when they were received.
In his letter, Mr Noonan said the Government proposal would change the law to end the current guarantee of the right to life of the unborn before implantation. He said that this conflicted with the Catholic Church view that life began at conception, and not at implantation.
He also asked what the position would be regarding the use of the "morning after pill" after implantation had taken place.
Meanwhile Mr Quinn stood by his claim that the Government's plan contravened Article 46.4 of the Constitution. That Article requires that a Bill to amend the Constitution cannot contain any other proposal. Labour maintains that the Government's Bill to amend the Constitution on abortion contains two proposals: one to amend the constitution and another to change the criminal law.
In the Dβil yesterday the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, rejected this assertion and outlined oral legal advice he had received to this effect from the Attorney General, Mr Michael McDowell. He said the Bill contains just one proposal - to amend the Constitution. The text of intended new legislation on abortion was included only for information purposes, and was not put forward to be enacted.
The Government will seek to amend the Maastricht Protocol on abortion, agreed in 1992, if its proposed constitutional amendment on the issue is approved by referendum.