The Pro-Life Campaign has expressed pleasure at the Government's plans to hold a referendum and legislate on abortion, although it said it would be taking legal advice before coming to a definitive judgment on the proposal.
A spokesman for the campaign said initial soundings from members were "generally positive".
But, as for whether the group would support the proposed referendum, he said, "we would have to take some time to consider the details and discuss it with our membership before we can say for definite what our position is. That could take a number of days."
The campaign's chairman, Senator Des Hanafin, was more forthright, describing the proposal as "a very honest and genuine attempt to deal with the problem".
He said: "At first sight I was quite pleased. I would congratulate the Taoiseach on bringing this forward and fulfilling a promise he made some years ago. He is a very good man and is anxious to do good. He is trying to facilitate the unfortunate girl who has a crisis pregnancy situation, and he is also trying to stem abortion. He feels, I'm quite sure, that there is enough of deaths and killings in the world."
Mr Hanafin added: "We all need time to study documents of this kind.
"This will be studied by our legal and medical people, whose opinions will count for a lot more than mine. But at first sight I was quite pleased."
Mr Maurice Colgan of the anti-abortion group Youth Defence said it also needed time to study the proposal before reaching a judgment.
"We will be seeking legal and medical advice tonight and tomorrow."
He added: "Getting a referendum does not necessarily mean a victory.
"It has to be the right words and that is what we will be looking at over the next few days."
