A referendum on abortion should be held early next year, the legal adviser to the Pro-Life Campaign, Prof William Binchy, said last night.
He was speaking at the launch of the campaign's submission to the interdepartmental working group on the Green Paper on abort ion.
The submission calls for improved funding for voluntary organisations which help women with crisis pregnancies to continue those pregnancies - but says State funding should go only to groups which respect the life of the unborn.
"The Taoiseach has pledged that the electorate will have the final say on abortion," Prof Binchy said. "It remains only to decide the timing and the form of the referendum."
The opportunity to say no to abortion had not been given to the people since 1983, he said.
If the matter was dealt with by legislation rather than a referendum, this "would merely copperfasten the introduction of abort ion." That, he said, "would be contrary to the wishes of the people on this important issue."
The interdepartmental working group was due to finish its task within a couple of months and the Government "must allocate all necessary resources to ensure that there is no delay in bringing forward the referendum on abort ion."
The submission refers to a recent report, "Women and Crisis Pregnancy" by researchers at Trinity College Dublin and says "most of the factors which could be said to pressurise a woman into choosing abortion are amenable to social and/or financial support."
"We suggest the Government should review again the funding it gives to the voluntary organisations that help women with unwanted pregnancies to continue with the pregnancy. With more funds at their disposal these organisations would be able to provide more support and counselling, housing and other practical help including financial assistance where needed.
"It seems essential that the Government would back up its commitment to the right to life of the unborn by giving funding only to organisations that fully respect that life. To do otherwise leaves the Government open to the accusation of hypocrisy," it says.