Exactly half of the electorate believe the abortion issue should be decided in another referendum, according to the latest Irish Times/MRBI opinion poll published today.
But almost one-third of voters, 32 per cent, think nothing should be done about the issue. They feel the present situation, where the Supreme Court decided in the X case in 1992 that abortion is lawful where there is a real and substantial risk to the life of the mother, including the risk of suicide, should remain.
Only 16 per cent believe the issue should be decided by legislation.
The poll was conducted among a national quota sample of 1,000 electors at 100 sampling points throughout every constituency in the State last Tuesday and Wednesday.
It follows the Government's recently published Green Paper on Abortion which set out the factual constitutional, legal and medical implications of the current position whereby the Medical Council has threatened to strike off any doctors performing abortion, even though the Supreme Court has ruled it is lawful in certain limited circumstances.
The Green Paper, which set out seven options for dealing with abortion, has been referred to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution.
It is seeking submissions until the end of this month.
There is no breakdown in the poll of the motivation of the 50 per cent of voters who want the abortion issue decided by referendum.
The referendum route, which is the Taoiseach's preferred course of action, is favoured by 53 per cent of Fianna Fail supporters, 43 per cent of Fine Gael, 42 per cent of Labour, 41 per cent of Progressive Democrats and 56 per cent of Others.
Almost one-third of Progressive Democrats supporters, 31 per cent, want legislation introduced in the Dail.
This compares with 12 per cent of Fianna Fail supporters, 21 per cent of Fine Gael and 22 per cent of Labour.
The party breakdown of the one-third of voters who want the present situation to remain is: Fianna Fail supporters, 32 per cent; Fine Gael, 33 per cent; Labour, 32 per cent; and Progressive Democrats, 28 per cent.
