There are now serious doubts over the Progressive Democrats' commitment to the holding of an abortion referendum next year after the party's leader in the Seanad said such a poll would be "unwise".
Senator John Dardis, the Deputy Government leader in the House, made his statement yesterday with the prior knowledge of his party.
His comments open the prospect of a further Cabinet debate over whether to hold a referendum, once the legislation enabling it is passed by the end of this year.
Meanwhile, the Taoiseach said again last night that there would be a referendum.
"We promised a referendum to clarify the position and provide legal certainty following the X case," he told the annual party leader's dinner in Dublin.
"The legislation has now passed the Dβil, and we are giving the people the final right to decide. The alternative is a prolonged and dangerous legal limbo."
But Senator Dardis told the Seanad debate on the Government proposals yesterday that there was a "fracturing of consensus on the abortion issue which he had "seen develop with increasing force. It leads me to the conclusion that to proceed to a referendum at this stage would be unwise. We need to recover the middle ground, not divide the country."
Significantly, he quoted his party leader, the Tβnaiste Ms Harney, in his support.
She had said during the Dβil debate on the Bill that "it would be unwise to proceed finally to a referendum unless sufficient broad middle ground support for the proposition is apparent."
Senator Dardis said: "That statement, which I support, could be made with even more force today and I ask the Minister and the Government to consider very carefully the way forward as I have great fears about the consequences of a referendum on the issue at this stage."
A party spokesman maintained last night that the PDs had not yet as a party come to the conclusion reached by Senator Dardis that there was not enough middle ground support for the proposal. However, he repeated the party's view that "it shouldn't go ahead without broad middle ground support".
Senator Dardis said he would vote in favour of the Bill, and that he personally favoured the Government approach which was "to support the plan to reduce the number of crisis pregnancies, to legislate to protect best medical practice while providing for a prohibition on abortion, and consequently to accommodate such legislation by referendum to amend the Constitution".
He accepted the position supported by the legislation that the threat of suicide should not be a ground for abortion.
He believed the Government proposal represented "the middle, moderate ground." He said there should be no party whip on the issue, saying that all parties including his own had "a plurality of views" within them.