The Labour Party has called for a No vote against the "unnecessary, irrelevant and dangerous" abortion referendum, which is due to take place on March 6th.
Promising that Labour would "campaign hard" against it at a press conference yesterday, the party's health spokeswoman, Ms Liz McManus, said the proposal was "dangerous to the right to life of Irish women".
The 25th Amendment proposal would incorporate the Protection of Human Life in Pregnancy Act, 2001, into the Constitution, and ensure that it could only be changed by the public. It defines abortion "as the intentional destruction by any means of unborn human life after implantation in the womb of a woman".
If passed, the Government argues that the referendum would ensure that women receive all necessary medical treatments, and that it would protect existing rights to travel and information.
However, Ms McManus rejected these arguments. "Current medical practice, designed to save the life of a woman, will be restricted and limited in a cavalier and dangerous manner.
"There is no consensus on the issue of a constitutional amendment on abortion," she said, adding that the All-Party Committee on the Constitution could not agree a majority opinion.
"Despite this reality, the Taoiseach has forced this referendum on the Irish people. His attempt to remove suicide as a ground for a termination of pregnancy is an assault on the current protection afforded to Irish women by the Constitution."
She continued: "The logic of the Taoiseach's position is that we as a society should say to a young woman, who may have been brutally raped, we will withhold a pregnancy termination, even if she is suicidal as a result. The Taoiseach must know that the groundswell of opinion is turning against his amendment. He is becoming increasingly isolated on the issue, as evidenced by his recent attempts to mislead the Irish people about critical aspects of the proposal."
The referendum would not protect the use of the morning after pill, nor would it protect all current medical practices, she alleged.
The 12-year jail sentence proposed for women who have illegal abortions in the Republic criminalises women and creates "a false distinction" between mental and physical health.
Legislation to give effect to the Supreme Court's "X" case judgment should be introduced. "It is patently inaccurate to say that the "X" case decision would "open the floodgates", yet the Taoiseach has consistently peddled this lie."
In a leaflet to be circulated to voters, Labour has told voters that the existing legal and constitutional position will remain if the referendum is defeated.
"Since the "X" case in 1992, there has been only one other similar case, the "C" case. These cases are, thankfully, rare, but they do arise and we have to face up to the fact that they can occur. But if another case such as the "X" case emerges a suicidal pregnant rape victim would be entitled to an abortion in this country," it said.
Ms McManus said: "Irish attitudes to the reality of crisis pregnancy and abortion have matured in recent years. Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats want to drag us back two decades."
The Labour Party would "invest time, energy and resources" in the referendum campaign.
